The United States carried out a surprise military operation in Venezuela on Friday, striking military installations and detaining President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, according to Albanian media reports.
Maduro was transferred to New York, where he is expected to face U.S. federal charges of drug trafficking and “narco-terrorism.” Washington said it would temporarily administer Venezuela until a political transition is agreed, a move that has drawn sharp international criticism and questions over the legality of the intervention. Venezuela’s Supreme Court named Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as interim president.
The operation caused damage on the ground and triggered widespread diplomatic reaction, with several governments condemning the U.S. action as a violation of international law.
Maduro’s previous accusations involving Albanians and organised crime have also resurfaced. In comments made months earlier, he claimed that what he called the “Albanian mafia,” allegedly acting with U.S. authorities, was seeking to destabilise his government — allegations denied by Washington.
“They are terrorists. The Albanian mafia that controls Ecuador has sent its people to place explosives here in Venezuela,” Maduro said at the time during an emergency press conference.
In May 2025, Maduro also accused the same group of trying to disrupt Venezuela’s presidential election. In a public statement, he claimed the “Albanian mafia” had recruited mercenaries to carry out terrorist attacks on May 25, the day of the vote. He did not provide evidence to support the allegations.
Albanian-speaking organised crime networks have become key brokers in the Latin America–to-Europe cocaine trade—especially via ports like Guayaquil in Ecuador—working with local cartels to source cocaine directly and ship it to European markets.
Because of the scale of trafficking, politicians sometimes weaponise the topic, blaming “Albanian mafia” as a geopolitical actor. Some of these claims mix fact with exaggeration — so analysts stress caution.