Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores made their first court appearance in New York City on Monday, pleading not guilty to federal drug trafficking and other charges before a judge in lower Manhattan.
The couple is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn following their dramatic capture by U.S. forces over the weekend. President Trump described the operation as "a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader," marking an unprecedented military action against a sitting head of state.
Their next court date has been scheduled for March 17, 2026, as federal prosecutors prepare their case against the former Venezuelan leader. The charges include drug trafficking, money laundering, and corruption-related offenses that allegedly span years of Maduro's rule.
Nicolás Maduro Guerra, the couple's son and a Venezuelan congressman, strongly criticized the Trump administration's actions, calling the capture "a direct threat to global political stability." In a statement, he warned: "If we normalize the kidnapping of a head of state, no country is safe."
The international community has responded with mixed reactions. Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum declared that the Americas "do not belong" to any single power and rejected U.S. intervention in other countries' affairs. Meanwhile, President Trump has threatened potential military action against other nations including Colombia, Cuba, and Iran.
The case represents a significant escalation in U.S. foreign policy toward Latin America and has raised questions about international law and sovereignty. Legal experts are closely watching the proceedings, as this marks the first time a former head of state has been captured and brought to trial in the United States under such circumstances.
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