Nicolás Maduro Pleads Not Guilty to Drug Trafficking Charges in New York
Maduro's Court Appearance
New York, Jan 6: Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has entered a plea of "not guilty" in a federal court in Manhattan, facing serious drug trafficking allegations. He claimed he was unlawfully "captured" and asserted his position as the legitimate leader of Venezuela.
During his initial court appearance since being detained in Caracas on January 3, Maduro expressed his grievances regarding his arrest, stating through a Spanish interpreter that he had been "kidnapped" from his residence.
His statements were interrupted by US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who indicated that there would be an appropriate time to address such claims and confirmed Maduro's identity before continuing with the proceedings.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were brought to court under heavy security from a detention facility in Brooklyn, where they have been held since their arrival in the United States over the weekend.
Both individuals utilized headsets to understand the English-language court proceedings through translation. Flores also pleaded not guilty, with her attorney noting that she suffered significant injuries during the operation that led to their capture.
Prosecutors have presented a 25-page indictment accusing Maduro and his associates of working with drug cartels to transport thousands of tons of cocaine into the United States.
The indictment alleges that Maduro and Flores orchestrated kidnappings, beatings, and murders to safeguard their drug trafficking operations. If found guilty, they could face life imprisonment.
Maduro's defense team is anticipated to contest the charges based on jurisdictional issues, arguing that as the sitting head of state, he is immune from prosecution and that his arrest was an unlawful military abduction.
This court appearance is seen by US officials as the beginning of a significant prosecution involving a foreign head of state in recent history.
The case is unfolding against a backdrop of heightened diplomatic tensions, following claims from the Trump administration that Maduro's ousting would enable the US to assist in governing Venezuela, a statement previously made by Donald Trump.
In a related development, Delcy Rodriguez, who previously served as Maduro's vice president and has pledged to collaborate with the Trump administration, was inaugurated as Venezuela's interim president in the parliament building.
Rodriguez was sworn in by her brother, Jorge Rodriguez, the leader of the National Assembly. "I come with sorrow for the suffering inflicted upon the Venezuelan people following an illegitimate military aggression against our homeland," she stated, raising her right hand. "I come with sorrow for the kidnapping of two heroes," as political tensions intensified in Caracas.
Nicolás Maduro Guerra, Maduro's son and a lawmaker, cautioned that the arrest could establish a perilous global precedent. "If we normalize the kidnapping of a head of state, no country is safe," he remarked, labeling the incident a threat to international political stability.