Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro made his first appearance in a Manhattan federal court on Sunday, January 5, 2026, where he defiantly declared his innocence and insisted he remains the legitimate leader of Venezuela despite his dramatic capture by U.S. forces days earlier.
"I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man. I am still president of my country," Maduro told Judge Alvin Hellerstein through an interpreter, his wrists shackled as he stood in orange jail slippers. "I am the elected president. I am a prisoner of war. I will be free."
Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, who identified herself as the "first lady of the Republic of Venezuela," were arraigned on charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and possession of destructive devices. Both pleaded not guilty. Flores, who bore visible injuries including a head bruise sustained during the capture operation, declared herself "completely innocent."
The dramatic court appearance comes after U.S. special forces, including Delta Force operatives working alongside CIA agents, captured Maduro in a pre-dawn raid on his Caracas residence on January 3. The operation, codenamed "Absolute Resolve," resulted in the deaths of more than 80 people, including 32 Cuban military and intelligence personnel, according to Venezuelan officials.
Defense attorney Barry Pollack signaled that legal challenges lie ahead, noting "issues about the legality of his military abduction." The defense is expected to argue that Maduro qualifies for head-of-state immunity from prosecution, a claim that could test the boundaries of international law.
The charges against Maduro stem from a 2020 indictment alleging he led a narco-terrorism conspiracy spanning 25 years, using cocaine trafficking to flood the United States with drugs while financing his grip on power. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison. The couple remains detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, with the next court date scheduled for March 17.
Meanwhile, in Caracas, former Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has been sworn in as acting leader and has offered to collaborate with the Trump administration, potentially signaling a seismic shift in U.S.-Venezuela relations. International reactions have been mixed, with China, Russia, and Iran among the first to congratulate Rodríguez, while human rights organizations have condemned the capture as a violation of international law and Venezuelan sovereignty.
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