After his highly publicized capture by U.S. forces over the weekend, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro entered a New York federal courtroom on Monday and pleaded not guilty to a suite of U.S. criminal charges, boldly declaring himself the legitimate president of his country.
Maduro and his wife and co-defendant Cilia Flores appeared before U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein in Manhattan to face charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation, and weapons offenses tied to alleged state-sponsored drug trafficking networks that supplied cocaine into the United States, alongside other corruption and violence allegations.
At the arraignment, the Venezuelan leader rejected the charges. "I'm innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man, the president of my country," he said, asserting that his removal and transportation to the United States were unlawful. He also insisted he had been "captured" in an operation he termed a kidnapping by U.S. personnel.
However, because the U.S. has not recognized his legitimacy as president since 2019, citing unlawful elections, Maduro does not enjoy legal immunity as a head of state and can be tried in federal court. Flores, the former first lady, also pleaded not guilty to all counts against her. Both defendants remain in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, and neither sought bail at the hearing. The next scheduled court date is set for March 17.
Venezuela's Supreme Court last week designated Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as acting president after his capture. Rodríguez had already been functioning in that role since the U.S. military operation, which involved strikes in Caracas and the seizure of Maduro and his wife for transport to the U.S. for prosecution.
The case against Maduro traces to indictments first unsealed in 2020. Prosecutors say the evidence will demonstrate Maduro led a network that collaborated with powerful drug cartels, though the defense is expected to challenge the legality of the capture and Maduro's status under international law.
Nations such as Russia and China have condemned the U.S. operation as a breach of Venezuela's sovereignty, while the United Nations and other global actors have raised concerns over the legal and geopolitical implications of the extraordinary rendition of a foreign leader.
In New York, U.S. officials, including Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, see the operation as a lawful enforcement of longstanding indictments, rejecting the notion that it represents an act of war or occupation. Waltz reiterated that the U.S. is pursuing the case under existing legal frameworks and that Washington will not allow the Western Hemisphere to become a haven for transnational crime.
