As US Attorney-General Pam Bondi unveiled the full indictment against captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores, there was one name that still eluded US authorities.
Nicolás Maduro Guerra — dubbed "the prince" or "Nicolásito" in the 25-page document — unlike his father, was still in Caracas.
Now, in the days after American forces seized Mr Maduro, his son has vowed to "defend Venezuela in any circumstance".
So who is this so-called prince and alleged co-conspirator?
A nepo baby's political rise
Nicolás Maduro Guerra, 35, is the only son of Mr Maduro and his first wife, Adriana Guerra Ángulo.
He was born as his father was rising through the ranks of the Movement of the Fifth Republic and shortly before Mr Maduro would be jailed for his role in a failed 1992 coup.
A promising flautist, Mr Maduro Guerra eventually dropped his musical aspirations for economics and was appointed by his father to oversee policy efficacy in Mr Maduro's first term.
In 2014, his father appointed him to lead Venezuela's National Film Institute, despite the then-24-year-old's lack of film expertise.
Following Mr Maduro's creation of the controversial constituent assembly, his son was then made a member in 2017, alongside Mr Maduro's second wife, Cilia Flores.
The pair's swift ascension was criticised as a blatant act of nepotism by the president.
"Just as the Castro brothers have surrounded themselves with relatives and friends to hold onto power for nearly 55 years, Maduro places his own in strategic government positions," one publication wrote in 2013.
This sentiment only intensified when Mr Maduro Guerra was seen being showered with dollars at the wedding of a Syrian-Venezuelan businessman in 2015 amid the nation's worsening financial crisis.
It was also in 2017 — following Mr Maduro Guerra's induction — that US President Donald Trump first sets his sights on Venezuela, floating possible military action.
The response from Mr Maduro Guerra was resolute.
"If you would dare touch our homeland, the rifles would arrive in New York, Mr Trump, we would arrive and take the White House," he said.
By 2021 Mr Maduro Guerra had entered Venezuela's National Assembly, where he continues to hold office.
What does the US allege?
On Tuesday in New York Mr Maduro and Ms Flores appeared in court for the first time and pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and weapons charges.
The case US prosecutors have laid out alleges that since 1999 Mr Maduro, Ms Flores, Mr Maduro Guerra and others have participated in a "relentless campaign of cocaine trafficking".
Among the indictment's allegations are claims Mr Maduro Guerra flew to Isla de Margarita twice monthly, where his plane would be loaded "with large packages wrapped in tape that the captain understood were drugs".
It also alleges that in or around 2017 Mr Maduro Guerra worked to "ship hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Venezuela to Miami" and, in 2020, allegedly made arrangements for a six-year trafficking route through Colombia to the US.
Mr Maduro Guerra has denounced the charges.
"If we normalise the kidnapping of a head of state, no country is safe," he said.
"Today it's Venezuela. Tomorrow it could be any nation that refuses to submit."
Unlike his father, a US reward was never offered for information leading to his arrest or conviction.
Neither was he mentioned in Trump's 2020 Department of Justice indictment for Mr Maduro.
'Homeland is in good hands, Dad': Maduro Guerra's next plans
Since his father's arrest, Mr Maduro Guerra has thrown his support behind Mr Maduro's vice-president and interim president Delcy Rodríguez.
Despite claims by Mr Trump, Ms Rodríguez has publicly rejected the idea of working with the US.
When Ms Rodríguez was sworn in on Tuesday, local time, Mr Maduro Guerra unveiled a photo of his father and Ms Flores before flashing a peace sign.
"Here we are, holding down the fort until you return," he said, addressing his father before the national assembly.
"The homeland is in good hands, Dad, and soon we will embrace each other here in Venezuela … long live Venezuela, long live the homeland.
"And here we are, steadfast in whatever we must do for our country."
To Ms Rodríguez, he offered his "unconditional support for the difficult task that lies ahead".
"We stand firm in absolute unity to achieve the goals of peace in Venezuela, to move the country forward, and to bring Nicolás and Cilia back home."
It is uncertain how the US plans to approach the charges against Mr Maduro Guerra, who remains in the public eye — for now.
