Venezuela's first lady says U.S. DEA kidnapped her nephewsJanuary 13, 2016 - 08:44 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Venezuela's first lady on Tuesday, January 12 broke her silence on the arrest of her two nephews on drug trafficking charges, saying they were kidnapped by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, according to the Associated Press. Cilia Flores, who serves in congress, told Venezuelan weekly Tal Cual that the U.S. was seeking revenge and trying to force the socialists from power in the South American country. She said the government had proof that the DEA had conducted an illegal operation on Venezuelan soil and "violated our sovereignty." Two of Flores' nephews were arrested in November in Haiti and transferred to New York. They are being held on charges of conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the U.S. "The DEA committed the crime of kidnapping," Flores said. U.S prosecutors have investigated several top Venezuelan officials for drug charges, but November's arrests marked the first time President Nicolas Maduro's inner circle was directly implicated. Flores had refrained from addressing the case. But that's been increasingly hard to do after the opposition won control of congress and allowed reporters to enter the congressional chamber for the first time in years. Last week, Flores was filmed ignoring direct questions from reporters on the topic, which local press has dubbed the "narconephews" scandal. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |