Defiant Maduro: ‘I Was Captured from My Home, I’m the President of Venezuela’/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro pleaded not guilty to U.S. drug trafficking charges in a New York courtroom. He told a judge he was “captured” and insisted he remains Venezuela’s legitimate president. The case opens a high-stakes legal battle with major geopolitical implications.
Maduro Arraigned in New York — Quick Looks
- Nicolás Maduro pleads not guilty to narco-terrorism charges
- Says he was “captured” and proclaims innocence in court
- Wife Cilia Flores appears alongside him as co-defendant
- U.S. cites drug trafficking and weapons allegations
- Defense expected to challenge arrest on sovereign immunity grounds
- U.S. does not recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate leader
- Acting president Delcy Rodríguez calls for cooperation, then demands return
- Trump administration says U.S. will temporarily “run” Venezuela
- Oil prices rise modestly amid uncertainty over production
- Case could lead to life sentences if convictions occur
Defiant Maduro: ‘I Was Captured from My Home, I’m the President of Venezuela’
Deep Look
NEW YORK — Deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro declared himself “innocent” and “a decent man” on Monday as he entered a not guilty plea to sweeping U.S. federal charges accusing him of drug trafficking and narco-terrorism. Speaking through a translator in a Manhattan courtroom, Maduro insisted he was unlawfully seized, telling the judge, “I was captured,” and asserting that he remains the president of Venezuela.
The appearance marked Maduro’s first time in an American courtroom, following a dramatic U.S. operation that brought him and his wife, Cilia Flores, to New York. Both defendants wore jail uniforms and used headsets to follow the proceedings translated into Spanish. The brief arraignment sets the stage for a prolonged legal fight that could test the limits of international law, presidential immunity, and U.S. jurisdiction.
Maduro and Flores were transported under heavy security from a Brooklyn detention facility early Monday. The transfer involved a tightly coordinated motorcade and helicopter flight across New York Harbor before their arrival at the federal courthouse. Outside, police separated competing groups of demonstrators — some celebrating the U.S. action, others condemning it as an illegal seizure.
As a criminal defendant in the United States, Maduro is entitled to the same procedural rights as any accused person, including a jury trial. What makes the case extraordinary is his expected defense: sovereign immunity. Maduro’s lawyers are likely to argue that, as a head of state, he cannot be prosecuted in U.S. courts.
The argument faces obstacles. The United States does not recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate leader, particularly after his disputed 2024 reelection. U.S. courts previously rejected a similar immunity claim by Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega, who was captured by U.S. forces in 1990 and later convicted.
Venezuela’s interim leadership has responded with mixed messages. Acting president Delcy Rodríguez demanded Maduro’s return and condemned the U.S. action, while also striking a more conciliatory tone in a social media post that invited cooperation with Washington and “respectful relations.”
The Trump administration has framed the operation as a law enforcement action. President Donald Trump said the U.S. would temporarily “run” Venezuela to ensure stability, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that Washington would not manage the country day-to-day beyond enforcing an oil quarantine.
Trump has also linked Maduro’s removal to potential changes in global energy markets, suggesting it could unlock Venezuela’s oil output. Yet oil prices rose only modestly in early trading, reflecting uncertainty about how quickly production could rebound after years of sanctions, neglect, and infrastructure decay.
The 25-page indictment unsealed over the weekend accuses Maduro and associates of conspiring with drug cartels to funnel thousands of tons of cocaine into the United States. Prosecutors allege that the network used violence — including kidnappings, beatings, and murders — to enforce debts and protect trafficking routes. If convicted, Maduro could face life in prison.
Flores is accused of accepting bribes to arrange meetings between traffickers and senior Venezuelan anti-drug officials, with prosecutors alleging a steady flow of illicit payments. The charges also name senior Venezuelan officials and an alleged gang leader tied to Tren de Aragua, though a U.S. intelligence assessment published last year found no coordination between the gang and the Venezuelan government — a point likely to be central to the defense.
Maduro, Flores, and their son have long been subject to U.S. sanctions, complicating their ability to retain American legal counsel. It remained unclear at the hearing whether Maduro had formally secured a U.S.-based attorney.
Beyond the courtroom, the case has reverberated globally. Russia and several Latin American governments have condemned the U.S. action, warning of dangerous precedents. Supporters of the operation argue it represents accountability for alleged crimes that fueled instability across the Western Hemisphere.
For now, the legal process is just beginning. Pretrial motions are expected to focus on jurisdiction, immunity, and the legality of Maduro’s capture. The outcome could reshape U.S.–Venezuela relations and set a lasting precedent for how former heads of state are treated in American courts.
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