Deposed Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan federal court to four counts of narco-terrorism and drug traff
Deposed Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan federal court to four counts of narco-terrorism and drug trafficking.
During the arraignment, Maduro appeared via an interpreter to declare his innocence, stating, “I am not guilty.
“I am a decent man. I am still the president of my country. His wife, Cilia Flores, was also charged and entered a plea of not guilty alongside him, describing herself as “completely innocent”.
The charges against Maduro include conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States and possession of machine guns and destructive devices.
U.S. prosecutors allege that Maduro oversaw a vast narco-terrorism network that collaborated with violent organisations, such as Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and the Colombian FARC rebels, to flood American streets with cocaine.
The indictment also accuses the couple of ordering kidnappings and murders to protect their drug trade interests.
This historic court appearance followed a dramatic U.S. military operation over the weekend in which special forces captured Maduro and Flores at their residence in Caracas.
Maduro protested the legality of his detention during the hearing, at one point shouting that he was a “prisoner of war” as he was escorted from the courtroom.
The operation, ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump, has drawn international concern from the UN Secretary-General while prompting a shift in leadership in Venezuela to an interim vice president.
Following the arraignment, Maduro and Flores were returned to the Metropolitan Detention Centre (MDC) in Brooklyn, where they are being held under heavy security.
U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein has set the next court date for March 17, 2026. If convicted on all charges, Maduro faces a potential sentence of life in prison.
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