The Latest: Venezuelan 1st lady’s 2 nephews facing prison

NEW YORK – The Latest on two nephews of Venezuela’s first lady charged with conspiring to send drugs to the United States (all times local):

8 p.m.

A U.S. prosecutor says two nephews of Venezuela’s first lady convicted in New York in a drug case thought they would make millions of dollars sending cocaine to the United States.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara (buh-RAH’-ruh) says what they ended up with “is a conviction in an American court and the prospect of years in federal prison.”

Venezuelan first lady Cilia Flores’ nephews Francisco Flores and Efrain Campo were convicted Friday. A judge says they won’t be sentenced before March.

Defence attorneys have requested time to challenge the conviction. They argued at trial no drugs traded hands and their clients never intended to deliver any.

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5:45 p.m.

A New York City jury has convicted the nephews of Venezuela’s first lady of charges they conspired to send drugs to the United States.

The jury returned its verdict Friday in the case against Efrain Campo and his cousin Francisco Flores after less than a day of deliberations.

The nephews of Venezuelan first lady Cilia Flores were charged with conspiring last year to import more than 1,700 pounds of cocaine into the United States.

Lawyers for Campo and Flores argued no drugs traded hands and the men never intended to deliver any. They blamed a flawed Drug Enforcement Administration-led probe that relied on a longtime informant who was using and dealing cocaine as he helped build the case.