Washington, Jan 5 (.) Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, who were taken captive by US forces in Caracas and taken to the US, pleaded not guilty on Monday to drug trafficking and weapons charges in a New York court. The Venezuelan leader and his wife entered the courtroom in prison garb with their feet shackled.
Maduro entered the courtroom shortly after 12 p.m. ET wearing prison garb, headphones for translations and feet shackled. His wife had the same clothes on. Both their hands were unshackled.
Maduro shook hands with his attorney.
“I’m innocent. I’m not guilty — I’m a decent man,” Maduro said through an interpreter in the court of U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein in the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan. He said that he is “still president of my country.”
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores were transported under heavy security via helicopter from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn to a Manhattan heliport and taken by motorcade to the courthouse hours before the proceedings began on Monday afternoon.
The couple is not seeking bail for now.
The Venezuelan leader is represented by Barry Pollack, a seasoned trial lawyer who represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and helped broker the deal that led to him pleading guilty to a single felony count for publishing U.S. military secrets in 2024. Flores is represented by Mark Donnelly, a Texas-based lawyer, according to a court filing.
Protesters gathered outside the courthouse ahead of the arraignment. A number of signs read: “Free Pres. Maduro and Cilia Flores Now!”, “No War for Venezuelan Oil” and “U.S.A. Hands off Venezuela.”
Hellerstein said his job and intent is to ensure Maduro and his wife receive a fair trial and fair proceedings. Their next court date is set for March 17.
The lawyers for Cilia Flores said she is in “good spirits” and that the “first lady is aware that there is a long road ahead and is prepared.”
Nicolas Maduro and his wife are being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn after being captured by US forces in a Saturday attack that President Trump described as “a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader,” following months of military buildup.
“We’re in charge” of Venezuela right now, Trump said on Sunday.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio signaled that the US wouldn’t directly govern Venezuela but would “exert tremendous leverage” through an “oil quarantine.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said “President Trump sets the terms.”
In the interim, Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as acting president on Monday. She has called for “cooperation” with the US.
Trump has once again called for a US takeover of Greenland and has threatened US action against Colombia and Cuba.
According to CNN, Trump’s administration is working quickly to establish a “pliant interim government” and repairing the country’s oil infrastructure.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other Trump officials will give a classified briefing to bipartisan lawmakers on Venezuela on Monday night, reports said, as questions continue about the raid, which Congress was not notified about beforehand.
US ambassador Mike Waltz told the United Nations on Monday that “we are not occupying a country,” reiterating Rubio’s comments over the weekend that “there is no war against Venezuela or its people.”
“This was a law enforcement operation in furtherance of lawful indictments that have existed for decades,” Waltz said, according to the readout. “The United States arrested a narcotrafficker who is now going to stand trial in the United States in accordance with the rule of law for the crimes he’s committed against our people for 15 years.”
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