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| Nephews of Venezuela's first lady sentenced to prison for cocaine plot | Nephews of Venezuela's first lady sentenced to prison for cocaine plot |
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| Two nephews of Venezuela’s first lady have been sentenced to 18 years in prison following their convictions in New York on drug conspiracy charges. | Two nephews of Venezuela’s first lady have been sentenced to 18 years in prison following their convictions in New York on drug conspiracy charges. |
| The US district judge Paul Crotty sentenced the two men, Franqui Francisco Flores de Freitas, 32, and Efraín Antonio Campo Flores, 31, at a hearing in federal court in Manhattan. The two are cousins, both nephews of Cilia Flores, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s wife. | |
| Lawyers for both defendants had asked for a shorter sentence of 10 years, while prosecutors had sought 30. Crotty said 30 years would be excessive, noting that Flores de Freitas and Campo Flores had no previous criminal history. | Lawyers for both defendants had asked for a shorter sentence of 10 years, while prosecutors had sought 30. Crotty said 30 years would be excessive, noting that Flores de Freitas and Campo Flores had no previous criminal history. |
| “What moves me is that Mr Campo Flores and Mr Flores de Freitas were perhaps not the most astute drug dealers who ever existed,” he said. “They were in over their heads.” | “What moves me is that Mr Campo Flores and Mr Flores de Freitas were perhaps not the most astute drug dealers who ever existed,” he said. “They were in over their heads.” |
| Both cousins spoke briefly before being sentenced. | Both cousins spoke briefly before being sentenced. |
| “I know that I have made very serious mistakes in this case,” Campo Flores said, going on to apologize to his wife and children. | “I know that I have made very serious mistakes in this case,” Campo Flores said, going on to apologize to his wife and children. |
| “I’ve always been a good person,” Flores de Freitas said. “Even in jail I tried to help those who were in a worse psychological situation than I find myself in.” He asked that the judge allow him to return to Venezuela soon to be near his son. | “I’ve always been a good person,” Flores de Freitas said. “Even in jail I tried to help those who were in a worse psychological situation than I find myself in.” He asked that the judge allow him to return to Venezuela soon to be near his son. |
| Lawyers for the two men had no immediate comments after the sentencing. | Lawyers for the two men had no immediate comments after the sentencing. |
| Flores de Freitas and Campo Flores were arrested in Haiti in November 2015 in a US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) sting operation. Prosecutors said in a court filing they tried to make $20m through drug trafficking to help keep their family in power. | Flores de Freitas and Campo Flores were arrested in Haiti in November 2015 in a US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) sting operation. Prosecutors said in a court filing they tried to make $20m through drug trafficking to help keep their family in power. |
| Campo Flores and Flores de Freitas were convicted in November 2016 by a jury of conspiring to import cocaine into the United States. | Campo Flores and Flores de Freitas were convicted in November 2016 by a jury of conspiring to import cocaine into the United States. |
| Lawyers for the two men said in a court filing earlier this year that prosecutors had proven only “bungling discussions of a drug plot that could never actually have been executed”. | Lawyers for the two men said in a court filing earlier this year that prosecutors had proven only “bungling discussions of a drug plot that could never actually have been executed”. |
| Days after the conviction, Maduro blasted the case in a speech as an instance of “US imperialism”. Maduro has frequently cast US accusations of drug trafficking as a pretext for meddling in Venezuela and trying to topple him. | Days after the conviction, Maduro blasted the case in a speech as an instance of “US imperialism”. Maduro has frequently cast US accusations of drug trafficking as a pretext for meddling in Venezuela and trying to topple him. |
| Under Maduro, oil-producing Venezuela has fallen into an economic and political crisis in which more than 120 people have died in four months of protests. The United States announced new sanctions against Maduro’s government in July. | Under Maduro, oil-producing Venezuela has fallen into an economic and political crisis in which more than 120 people have died in four months of protests. The United States announced new sanctions against Maduro’s government in July. |