Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a press conference at the Miraflores Presidential Palace, in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Venezuela’s justice department has requested an international warrant for the country's president, Nicolas Maduro -- but the beleaguered leader isn't getting ready to don a prison jumpsuit any time soon.
In a letter to Interpol secretary-general Jurgen Stock, the Supreme Tribunal of Justice, Venezuela's exiled DOJ, accused Maduro of corruption in the midst of the country’s economic collapse. The officials, which call themselves the Legitimate TSJ, were exiled to Florida amid Venezuela’s constitutional crisis.
They accuse Maduro of accepting money from illegal activity and want the Venezuelan president to serve about 18 years in prison.
“As a result of the aforementioned, this Plenary Chamber considered it appropriate to request that Interpol issue a red notice for Nicolás Maduro Moros for the purposes of international cooperation on common crimes for the apprehension of the above-mentioned subject,” the letter read, according to Business Insider.
The U.S. piled sanctions on Venezuela earlier this month, adding to the country’s economic woes. The sanctions are meant to prohibit anyone in the U.S. from doing business with entities and individuals involved with “corrupt and deceptive” gold dealings from Venezuela.
Over the past three years, more than 2 million Venezuelans have fled the country – creating a mass migration crisis that has threatened to destabilize Latin America. Food and medicine are said to be increasingly scarce across the country, with the UN calling it one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
Maduro has consistently denied being at the root of any economic woes in Venezuela and instead blamed U.S.-backed adversaries and opposition leaders for waging fiscal wars and plotting to assassinate him.
Fox News’ Hollie McKay contributed to this report.
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