The former Venezuelan leader and his wife have been indicted on charges related to narco-terrorism.
NEW YORK CITY—Captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro pleaded not guilty during a historic arraignment in the New York City borough of Manhattan, where he faces an indictment on various conspiracy charges, as well as the potential for decades in prison.
“I’m innocent,” Maduro, 63, said. “I am not guilty. I am a decent man, the president of my country.”
The former dictator entered a Manhattan courtroom on Jan. 5 at about 12:01 p.m. EST, and could be seen wearing his blue prison uniform. Both he and his wife wore headsets to hear translations of the proceedings.
Their appearance marked their rapid descent from leading one of the largest oil-producing nations just days before.
Judge Alvin Hellerstein of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York offered a summary of the indictment before both Maduro and his wife declined to hear it read in full. The couple did not seek bail but requested the ability to seek it at a future date. Maduro told Hellerstein that he had spoken with his attorney and would like a consular visit.
Although Maduro was indicted under the first Trump administration, he did not enter U.S. custody until Jan. 3, when the U.S. military conducted a surprise strike on the Venezuelan capital of Caracas. A government attorney said the two were taken into custody at 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 3. Their plane landed in New York City that same day at 4:31 p.m.
Shortly after news broke of Maduro’s capture, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced a new indictment targeting both Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
“They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts,” Bondi said in a post on social media.
Like her husband, Flores maintained her innocence.
Through an interpreter, she said, “I am first lady of the Republic of Venezuela.”
The indictment names two other Venezuelan politicians: Minister of Interior Diosdado Cabello and a former governor, Ramón Rodríguez Chacín. It also names Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, whom the indictment describes as a leader of the Tren de Aragua gang and terrorist group.
“The defendants, together and with others, engaged in a relentless campaign of cocaine trafficking throughout the time period charged in this Superseding Indictment, resulting in the distribution of thousands of tons of cocaine to the United States,” the indictment reads.
They are charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess those items.
Maduro said during the Jan. 5 hearing that he had not read the indictment and had not been informed of his rights.
“Your honor is informing me of them now,” he said.
The brief hearing ended after input from both Maduro’s attorney and Flores’s attorney, Mark Donnelly, who said Flores, 69, had a damaged rib that needed to be X-rayed. Donnelly said he believed that Flores suffered “significant injuries” during her capture. Hellerstein directed prosecutors to ensure that Flores received care.
Pedro Rojas, a Venezuelan asylum seeker who came to the United States in 2019, was in the audience and told Maduro, “In the name of the people of Venezuela, you will pay.”
“I am a man of God,” Maduro responded. He said he was a “kidnapped president.” Rojas was scolded by the marshal in charge but was not arrested.
In response to a question from The Epoch Times, Rojas said, “What we want is for the full weight of the law to fall upon Maduro. … Maduro is being fed, he is requesting medical treatment, all things that political prisoners in Venezuela have never received.”
Rojas, a former political prisoner, went on to call Maduro a “bloodthirsty tyrant” and apologized “to the U.S. and the U.S. justice system for shouting during the proceedings.”
During the hearing, Maduro’s attorney, Barry Pollack, raised questions about the legality of Maduro’s arrest and said his client was “the head of a sovereign state and entitled to privilege.” Previewing the coming litigation, Pollack said there would be “voluminous” pretrial filings.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
By Arjun Singh and Sam Dorman and Nicholas Zifcak
