Daijiworld Media Network - New York
New York, Jan 6: Ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro on Monday pleaded not guilty to federal drug trafficking charges in a US court, defiantly declaring himself the “president of my country” as he protested his capture by American forces.
Appearing in a Manhattan federal courtroom for the first time since he and his wife Cilia Flores were seized in a dramatic overnight US military operation, Maduro said in Spanish that he had been “captured” before being interrupted by the judge. Asked to enter his plea, he stated, “I’m innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man, the president of my country.”
Maduro, dressed in a blue jail uniform, was brought to court under heavy security along with his wife for the brief procedural hearing. Both wore headsets as the proceedings were translated into Spanish. His next court date has been scheduled for March 17.
The case marks one of the most consequential prosecutions of a foreign leader by the United States. It is unfolding amid a broader political upheaval following President Donald Trump’s announcement that Washington would temporarily “run” Venezuela after Maduro’s removal from power.
The couple were transferred early Monday from a Brooklyn detention facility to the courthouse, involving a tightly guarded motorcade and helicopter transport across New York Harbor. Outside the court, small groups of protesters and counter-demonstrators gathered, with police separating the two sides.
Maduro’s lawyers are expected to challenge the legality of his arrest, arguing that he enjoys immunity as a sovereign head of state. However, the US does not recognise him as Venezuela’s legitimate president following his disputed re-election in 2024. A similar immunity claim by former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega was rejected after his capture by US forces in 1990.
Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodriguez has demanded Maduro’s return, though she later struck a conciliatory tone, expressing interest in cooperation and “respectful relations” with the US. Maduro and his allies have long accused Washington of targeting Venezuela for its oil and mineral wealth.
A 25-page indictment unsealed on Saturday accuses Maduro and several associates of working with drug cartels to traffic thousands of tonnes of cocaine into the United States. If convicted, he could face life imprisonment. The charges also include allegations of kidnappings, killings and large-scale bribery linked to drug operations.
Maduro and his wife have been under US sanctions for years. While the indictment alleges coordination between Venezuelan officials and the Tren de Aragua gang, a US intelligence assessment published earlier this year found no evidence of direct coordination between the gang and the Venezuelan government.