Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s deposed president captured in a U.S. raid, faced a Manhattan court on Monday. He denounced his seizure with wife Cilia Flores as a kidnapping, dubbing himself a prisoner of war, and pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges.
Before Judge Alvin Hellerstein, Maduro insisted through a translator, “I’m innocent. I am not guilty of anything.” Flores, with a bandaged forehead and suspected rib injuries, declared, “I am first lady of the Republic of Venezuela.” She added, “Not guilty. Completely innocent.” Both waived bail and will remain detained until March 17.
Flores’s lawyer sought medical scans; Maduro’s counsel Barry Pollack, ex-advocate for Julian Assange, claimed sovereign immunity and questioned the raid’s legality. Prosecutor Jay Clayton expressed confidence, stating, “From the perspective of where I sit, my people and I are completely comfortable with this prosecution.”
A 25-page indictment accuses Maduro, 63, of leading a narco-terrorism plot with traffickers like Tren de Aragua to ship tonnes of cocaine to the U.S. Flores, 69, allegedly took bribes around 2007 to aid flights protected by official Nestor Reverol Torres, a fugitive.
“Nicolás Maduro Moros, the defendant, now sits atop a corrupt, illegitimate government that, for decades, has leveraged government power to protect and promote illegal activity, including drug trafficking,” the indictment stated.
Co-defendants at large include Maduro’s son, minister Diosdado Cabello, and gang leader Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores.