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Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty Monday to federal drug trafficking and weapons charges, days after they were captured by U.S. military forces and brought to New York in a dramatic overnight operation.
Maduro and Flores appeared before U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein at the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan under heavy security. The two were transported by helicopter from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn to Manhattan and escorted by motorcade to the courthouse hours before the afternoon hearing.
“I’m innocent. I’m not guilty — I’m a decent man,” Maduro said through an interpreter, adding that he remains “still president of my country,” despite U.S. recognition of a new interim government in Caracas.
Hellerstein said his role was to ensure that both defendants receive a fair trial and fair proceedings.
Legal Proceedings Begin
Monday’s arraignment marks the beginning of what is expected to be months of pretrial litigation ahead of a possible criminal trial. Defense attorneys said neither Maduro nor Flores is currently seeking release on bail, though they reserved the right to make such a request later. The next court date is scheduled for March 17.
Maduro is represented by Barry Pollack, a veteran defense attorney who previously represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Flores is represented by Texas-based attorney Mark Donnelly, according to court records.
Pollack told the court that Maduro has ongoing health issues that require medical attention. Flores’ attorney said she may be suffering from fractured or severely bruised ribs. Hellerstein ordered that both defendants receive appropriate medical care while in custody.
Protesters gathered outside the courthouse ahead of the arraignment, underscoring the political and symbolic weight of the case.
Charges and Allegations
Maduro faces four felony counts, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, and weapons-related offenses. Federal prosecutors allege that Maduro led a “corrupt, illegitimate government” that used state power to facilitate drug trafficking on a massive scale.
A superseding indictment unsealed Saturday alleges that Maduro and his associates helped flood the United States with “thousands of tons of cocaine,” enriching themselves, family members and senior Venezuelan officials in the process.
“This cycle of narcotics-based corruption lines the pockets of Venezuelan officials and their families while also benefiting narco-terrorists who operate with impunity on Venezuelan soil,” prosecutors wrote.
The indictment also names four additional defendants, including Maduro’s son, Nicolás Ernesto Maduro, and Venezuela’s interior minister, Diosdado Cabello. None of the other defendants has been taken into U.S. custody.
Maduro was first indicted in March 2020 during President Donald Trump’s first term. The new indictment expands the case, alleging that for more than 25 years Maduro and his network partnered with drug cartels, including Tren de Aragua, to traffic cocaine to the United States.
Political Context
Maduro and Flores were apprehended Saturday by U.S. forces following what President Trump described as a “large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader,” after months of military buildup in the Caribbean and diplomatic efforts to pressure Maduro to relinquish power.
On Monday, Delcy Rodríguez — Maduro’s longtime confidante and former vice president — was sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president, further formalizing the political rupture between Washington and Caracas.
Maduro’s insistence in court that he remains Venezuela’s rightful president highlights the unresolved political and diplomatic tensions surrounding his capture, even as the criminal case now proceeds in U.S. federal court.
