Fallen Venezuelan chief Nicolas Maduro appeared in a New York court Monday afternoon, claiming he and his wife were “kidnapped” by U.S. forces from their home in Caracas and that he was a “prisoner of war” as he pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, also charged in this case, have been detained since their kidnapping Venezuela Saturday after an American strike on the country on the orders of the American president Donald Trump. Flores also pleaded not guilty.
“I’m innocent. I’m not guilty of anything,” Maduro told Judge Alvin Hellerstein repeatedly through a translator during his appearance in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.
Flores said: “I am the first lady of the Republic of Venezuela.”
“Not guilty. Completely innocent,” Flores responded when asked for his plea.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores attend their arraignment with defense attorneys Barry Pollack and Mark Donnelly to face U.S. federal charges including narcoterrorism, conspiracy, drug trafficking, money laundering and others, at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in Manhattan, New York, United States, January 5, 2026 in this courtroom sketch.
Jane Rosenberg | Reuters
Flores had a large bruise on his forehead. Her lawyer requested that she receive medical treatment from prison officials for the injuries she suffered during her arrest Saturday, including an X-ray of her ribs, which are said to be broken or badly bruised.
The couple agreed to remain in jail without bail for now, but may submit a request for bail in the future.
Captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro arrives at the downtown Manhattan heliport as he heads to the Daniel Patrick Manhattan United States Courthouse for an initial appearance to face U.S. federal charges including narcoterrorism, conspiracy, drug trafficking, money laundering and others, in New York, United States, January 5, 2026.
Eduardo Munoz | Reuters
Hellerstein set the next court date for the case for March 17.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, whose office is prosecuting the couple, during an interview Monday morning on CNBC. “Scream box”, said: “From my position, my people and I are completely comfortable with this prosecution. »
Defense attorney Barry Pollack represented Maduro at the hearing. Pollack previously represented WikiLeaks founder Julien Assange in Assange’s federal criminal case.
Pollack said during the hearing that Maduro “is the head of a sovereign state and is entitled to the privilege” of that status. Pollack also said there were “questions about the legality of his military kidnapping” and that there would be “voluminous” court filings dealing with that issue.
Flores is represented by Mark Donnelly, a former federal prosecutor in Texas.
Maduro, 63, faces charges in federal prison charge with conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices. He previously denied the allegations.
Flores, 69, is charged with cocaine and weapons conspiracy.
Maduro, whom the indictment calls Venezuela’s “illegitimate ruler” due to fraudulent election results, is accused of partnering with co-conspirators, drug traffickers and narcoterrorist groups to import tons of cocaine into the United States.
Maduro and his wife appeared around noon in front of Hellerstein.
“Nicolas Maduro Moros, the defendant, now sits at the head of a corrupt and illegitimate government that for decades has exploited government power to protect and promote illegal activities, including drug trafficking,” the 25-page indictment alleges.
“This cycle of narcotics-based corruption lines the pockets of Venezuelan officials and their families while also benefiting violent narcoterrorists who operate with impunity on Venezuelan soil and help produce, protect, and transport tons of cocaine to the United States,” the indictment states.
Law enforcement officials capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores off the helicopter, as Maduro heads to the Daniel Patrick Manhattan United States Courthouse for an initial appearance to face U.S. federal charges including narcoterrorism, conspiracy, drug trafficking, money laundering and others, in New York, the United States, January 5, 2026.
Adam Gray | Reuters
Among the alleged overt acts detailed in the indictment is a meeting Flores attended around 2007, during which she allegedly “accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to broker a meeting between a large-scale drug trafficker and the director of Venezuela’s National Anti-Drug Office, Nestor Reverol Torres.”
“The drug trafficker then arranged to pay a monthly bribe to Reverol Torres, in addition to approximately $100,000 for each flight carrying cocaine to ensure the flight passed, a portion of which was then paid to Flores de Maduro,” the indictment alleges.
Read more CNBC coverage on Venezuela“Reverol Torres was charged with drug crimes in the Eastern District of New York and is a fugitive.”
The other defendants charged in the same indictment are not in United States custody.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores hold hands and pose for photos after the swearing-in ceremony at the Palacio Federal Legislativo January 10, 2025 in Caracas, Venezuela.
Jesus Vargas | Getty Images News | Getty Images
These defendants are Maduro’s son, Nicolas Ernesto Maduro Guerra; Diosdado Cabello Rondon; Ramón Rodriguez Chacin; and Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores.
Cabello is Venezuela’s interior minister, a position previously held by Rodriguez.
Guerrero was identified as the leader of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
The Trump administration was confronted questions about Maduro’s arrest in his own country, given Trump’s recent pardon of the former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandezwho was convicted in 2024 of conspiring with drug traffickers and using his government position to help hundreds of tons of cocaine enter the United States.
This is developing news. Check back for updates.
