Vladimir Padrino López: what the documents say
He has been charged in Washington since 2019 and has never appeared in court. He was Defense Minister until March 2026 and remains in Venezuela.
We read every public document in the case, counted the words and compared the versions. Updated September 25, 2026.
What we found
The whole indictment fits on three pages
About 740 words and a single count. The January 2026 indictment of Maduro runs 25 pages and more than 7,000 words. Padrino's tells no episode at all: no dated flights, no meetings, no witnesses described.
Source: Indictment of Vladimir Padrino López, May 2019 · Washington (3 pages)
One count, since 2014
Conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine on board a U.S.-registered aircraft, from March 2014, in Belize, Guatemala, Venezuela, Mexico, Honduras and the United States.
Source: Indictment of Vladimir Padrino López, May 2019 · Washington (3 pages)
A year under seal
The indictment was filed under seal on May 24, 2019 and made public on March 26, 2020, the same day as those against Maduro, Cabello and Carvajal.
Not one mention in New York
His case runs separately, in Washington. His name does not appear once in the New York indictments against Maduro, neither in 2020 nor in 2026.
Source: S4 superseding indictment, January 2026 · New York (25 pages)
"Fugitive", and nothing since 2023
The public docket has four entries. The last one, dated February 6, 2023, sends the case to a court committee "as the defendant is a fugitive". Nothing has been filed since.
Source: Indictment of Vladimir Padrino López, May 2019 · Washington (3 pages)
The documents
- Indictment of Vladimir Padrino López, May 2019 · Washington (3 pages) · Departamento de Justicia / Justice Department
- Justice Department press release, March 26, 2020 · Departamento de Justicia / Justice Department
- Congressional Research Service note on the 2020 indictments · Congreso de EE. UU. / U.S. Congress
- Every new filing in the case, explained the day it reaches the court (Tocorón Watch)
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Automated text analysis of public U.S. government documents, linked to each original. Counts are mentions in the text. An indictment is not a conviction: every defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Not legal advice or our opinion. See a mistake? Tell us.