Nicolás Maduro pleads not guilty in NYC court

NEW YORK CITY - Deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro declared himself "innocent" and a "decent man" as he pleaded not guilty to federal drug trafficking charges in a U.S. courtroom on Monday.

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Maduro and his wife plead not guilty

"I’m innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man, the president of my country," Maduro told a judge.

In court Monday, the judge read Maduro his rights and acknowledged his counsel. Maduro said he had not previously known those rights but understood them, and pleaded not guilty to all four federal charges. His wife also pleaded not guilty.

At one point near the end of the hearing, attorney Barry J. Pollack said his client "is head of a sovereign state and entitled to the privilege" that the status ensures. Pollack said there were "questions about the legality of his military abduction" and that there would be "voluminous" pretrial filings to address those legal challenges.

Maduro in court

Maduro was seen wearing a black T-shirt over a prison-orange top as he entered the courtroom uncuffed and hands free, towering over his counsel. He wore headphones, presumably for translation, and sat down immediately, beginning to write on a legal pad.

Court proceedings ended at 12:31 after attorney Mark Donnelly, on behalf of Cilia Flores, said that his client sustained "health and medical issues that will require attention." Donnelly said that Flores, 69, may have a fracture or severe bruising on her ribs and may need a full X-ray.

Both Maduro and Flores agreed to remain detained for now. Their attorneys could revisit a bail application at a later date. Maduro’s next court date is set for March 17.

What we know:

The hearing marked the first court appearance for Maduro since his capture.

His wife, Cilia Flores, who was arrested during the same operation, also appeared in court. Like her husband, Flores held senior roles in Venezuela’s socialist government.

Maduro, along with his wife, son and three others, is accused of working with drug cartels to facilitate the shipment of thousands of tons of cocaine into the U.S. They could face life in prison if convicted.

Big picture view:

President Donald Trump announced Maduro’s capture over the weekend, releasing a photograph of him in custody and declaring that the United States would temporarily take control of Venezuela following his removal.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio later sought to clarify those remarks, saying the U.S. would not manage Venezuela’s day-to-day affairs but would continue enforcing an oil quarantine and sanctions as leverage to press for policy changes, including efforts to curb drug trafficking.

What is Maduro being charged with?

Maduro faces four federal charges, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and weapons offenses involving machine guns and destructive devices, according to court records.

Prosecutors allege Maduro led a criminal enterprise that worked with Colombian armed groups to traffic cocaine into the United States and used military-grade weapons to protect those operations. They say Flores was part of the conspiracy.

Both have denied the allegations. Their arrests have drawn international attention, with protests expected Monday in New York City and renewed questions about the legality of the U.S. operation.

Who is Nicolás Maduro and what did he do?

Maduro, 63, a former bus driver and union leader, became president in 2013 after the death of Hugo Chávez. His rule coincided with economic collapse, political repression and the mass migration of millions of Venezuelans.

The United States accuses him of dismantling democratic institutions and overseeing a corrupt system tied to international drug trafficking. Maduro has rejected those accusations, calling the U.S. action illegal and imperialist.

Maduro's wife and kids

U.S. officials say the timing of the capture followed intelligence and military planning tied to enforcing the existing indictment. 

While several Maduro allies and relatives have been implicated in past investigations, his children are not charged in the current case.

Maduro has been married twice and has one biological son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, known as "Nicolasito," from his first marriage to Adriana Guerra Angulo. His son has held several senior government roles in Venezuela, including positions tied to the presidency and the National Assembly.

Maduro married Cilia Flores in 2013. The couple has no children together, but Maduro has three stepchildren from Flores’ previous marriage.

Legal scholars continue to debate whether the use of military force to detain a foreign leader complies with international law.

Where is Maduro now?

Maduro is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, according to people familiar with the matter. The federal jail has housed numerous high-profile detainees over the years and is known for its restrictive conditions and past operational failures.

The facility previously held music executive Sean "Diddy" Combs for more than a year before his trial, a detail that underscores the seriousness and visibility of Maduro’s detention as he awaits court proceedings.

SkyFOX flew over the motorcade transporting Nicolás Maduro from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn to federal court in Lower Manhattan early Monday morning.

 

Did Biden issue a warrant for Maduro?

Dig deeper:

There is no indication that President Joe Biden issued a new warrant related to Maduro’s arrest. The charges stem from a long-standing federal indictment, and warrants are issued through the judicial system rather than directly by the president.

The operation was carried out under Trump’s authority, relying on existing legal actions already underway in federal court.

Bounty questions after capture

The backstory:

For years, the United States had offered a reward of up to $50 million for information leading to Maduro’s arrest, one of the largest bounties ever announced for a sitting head of state. The reward reflected Washington’s efforts to pressure the Venezuelan leader amid accusations of corruption and drug trafficking.

The bounty is no longer relevant following Maduro’s capture.

Maduro capture brings Venezuela crisis to New York City

The capture of Maduro represents one of the most aggressive actions taken by the United States against a sitting foreign leader in decades. Legal experts say the Venezuela attack goes beyond even the most high-profile historical examples of American interventions in Panama, Iraq and elsewhere, raising significant international law concerns.

After the raid, Maduro and Flores were transported to New York, where federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York are pursuing a case first unveiled in 2020.

Protests in NYC expected

Local perspective:

In New York City, protest groups gathered Monday morning outside the federal courthouse at 500 Pearl Street in Lower Manhattan ahead of Maduro’s arraignment, according to organizers. Demonstrators have called for Maduro and Flores to be released and returned to Venezuela and for U.S. sanctions to end.

Additional demonstrations have already taken place outside the Brooklyn jail where Maduro is being held, highlighting how a geopolitical conflict thousands of miles away has moved directly into New York’s streets and courtrooms.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the arrest, saying that he called President Trump on Sunday to voice his opposition to the military operation.

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