NEW YORK — Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty Monday during their first court appearance in New York since being taken into U.S. custody in a dramatic military operation carried out in Caracas, according to APP.
The couple faces sweeping federal charges, including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, and weapons-related offenses. Prosecutors allege that Maduro led a criminal enterprise that used drug trafficking as a tool of state power while arming militant groups hostile to the United States.
Appearing before a federal judge, Maduro rejected the authority of the court and portrayed himself as a victim of international abduction. “I am the president of the Republic of Venezuela,” he said, asserting that he was “kidnapped” from his home in Caracas on Saturday, January 3. Flores similarly claimed diplomatic status, identifying herself as Venezuela’s first lady.
The courtroom scene unfolded against a backdrop of extraordinary geopolitical tension. In Washington, President Donald Trump defended the operation, declaring that the United States is now “in charge” of Venezuela and warning the country’s interim leadership to cooperate with U.S. directives or face severe consequences. Trump has openly stated that Washington intends to access Venezuela’s vast oil reserves as part of its intervention.
In Caracas, Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s vice president, responded with a defiant appeal to international law. While inviting dialogue with Washington, she insisted that Venezuela “has the right to peace, development, sovereignty, and a future,” framing the capture of Maduro as a violation of national self-determination.
The case marks an unprecedented moment in modern international relations: a former head of state standing trial in a U.S. courtroom after a direct military seizure. As legal proceedings begin, the fallout is reverberating well beyond New York, reshaping power dynamics across Latin America and intensifying scrutiny of Washington’s expanding global reach.
