By: Tiana Cole| HGP Nightly News |
Ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, made their first appearance in a Manhattan federal court on Monday after being captured by United States forces during a military operation in Caracas over the weekend.
Maduro, 63, pleaded not guilty to multiple federal charges, including narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices. Speaking through an interpreter during the hearing, Maduro declared his innocence before being interrupted by U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein.
“I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man. I am still president of my country,” Maduro said.
Flores also entered a not-guilty plea. The court scheduled the next hearing for March 17.
According to U.S. prosecutors, Maduro is accused of overseeing and directing a large-scale cocaine trafficking network that allegedly worked in collaboration with violent armed groups. Authorities contend that the operation was responsible for funneling massive quantities of illegal narcotics into international markets, including the United States.
Maduro has consistently rejected the allegations, maintaining that the charges are politically motivated and part of what he has described as imperialist efforts aimed at undermining Venezuela’s sovereignty and gaining control over the country’s vast oil resources.
The dramatic capture of the Venezuelan leader has sent shockwaves across the international community. In a national address following the operation, U.S. President Donald Trump hailed the mission as a decisive demonstration of American military strength and resolve.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed that position, stating that Maduro had numerous opportunities to avoid the outcome but chose otherwise.
“Nicolás Maduro had multiple opportunities to avoid this and instead chose to act recklessly, and the result is what we saw,” Rubio said.
Maduro’s arrest marks a significant escalation in U.S.–Venezuela relations and signals a potentially historic legal battle, as the former leader now faces prosecution in the United States on some of the most serious criminal charges ever brought against a sitting or former head of state.
