Venezuela chief Nicolas Maduro seems in New York courtroom

Deposed Venezuelan chief Nicolas Maduro appeared in a New York courtroom on Monday afternoon, saying that he had been “kidnapped” together with his spouse by U.S. forces from their residence in Caracas, and that he was a “prisoner of battle,” as he pleaded not responsible to drug trafficking fees

Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores, who can be charged within the case, have been held since they have been taken from Venezuela on Saturday after a U.S. strike on the nation on the orders of U.S. President Donald Trump. Flores additionally pleaded not responsible.

“I am harmless. I’m not responsible of something,” Maduro repeatedly mentioned via a translator to Choose Alvin Hellerstein throughout his look in U.S. District Court docket in Manhattan.

Flores mentioned, “I’m first woman of the Republic of Venezuela.”

“Not responsible. Fully harmless,” Flores replied when requested for her plea.

Flores had a big bruise on her brow. Her lawyer requested that she get medical consideration from jail officers for accidents she sustained throughout her seize Saturday, together with an X-ray for her ribs, that are believed to be damaged or severely bruised.

The couple agreed to stay in jail with out bail for now, however might submit a bail utility sooner or later.

Hellerstein set the subsequent courtroom date for the case on March 17.

Manhattan U.S. Legal professional Jay Clayton, whose workplace is prosecuting the couple, throughout an interview Monday morning on CNBC’s “Squawk Field,” mentioned, “From the attitude of the place I sit, my folks and I are utterly comfy with this prosecution.”

Protection lawyer Barry Pollack represented Maduro on the listening to. Pollack beforehand represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in Assange’s federal legal case.

Pollack mentioned through the listening to mentioned Maduro “is head of a sovereign state and entitled to the privilege” from that standing. Pollack additionally mentioned that there have been “questions in regards to the legality of his army abduction” and that there could be “voluminous” courtroom filings addressing that problem.

Flores is being represented by Mark Donnelly, a former federal prosecutor in Texas.

Maduro, 63, is charged in a federal indictment with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine weapons and harmful gadgets, and conspiracy to own machine weapons and harmful gadgets. He has beforehand denied the allegations.

Flores, 69, is charged with the cocaine conspiracy and weapons counts.

Maduro, whom the indictment refers to because the “illegitimate ruler” of Venezuela on account of fraudulent election outcomes, is accused of partnering with co-conspirators, narcotics traffickers and narco-terrorist teams to import tons of cocaine into the US.

Maduro and his spouse appeared at round midday earlier than Hellerstein.

“Nicolas Maduro Moros, the defendant, now sits atop a corrupt, illegitimate authorities that, for many years, has leveraged authorities energy to guard and promote criminal activity, together with drug trafficking,” the 25-page indictment alleges.

“This cycle of narcotics-based corruption strains the pockets of Venezuelan officers and their households whereas additionally benefiting violent narco-terrorists who function with impunity on Venezuelan soil and who assist produce, shield, and transport tons of cocaine to the US,” the indictment says.

Among the many alleged overt acts detailed within the indictment is a gathering that Flores attended in roughly 2007, during which she purportedly “accepted a whole bunch of 1000’s of {dollars} in bribes to dealer a gathering between a large-scale drug trafficker and the director of Venezuela’s Nationwide Anti-Drug Workplace, Nestor Reverol Torres.”

“The drug trafficker later organized to pay a month-to-month bribe to Reverol Torres, along with roughly $100,000 for every flight that was transporting cocaine to make sure the flight’s secure passage, a portion of which was then paid to Flores de Maduro,” the indictment alleges.

“Reverol Torres was charged with narcotics offenses within the Japanese District of New York and is a fugitive.”

The opposite defendants charged in the identical indictment are usually not in U.S. custody.

These defendants are Maduro’s son, Nicolas Ernesto Maduro Guerra; Diosdado Cabello Rondon; Ramon Rodriguez Chacin; and Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores.

Cabello is Venezuela’s inside minister, a publish beforehand held by Rodriguez.

Guerrero has been recognized because the chief of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.

The Trump administration has confronted questions on Maduro’s apprehension in his personal nation, given Trump’s current pardon of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was convicted in 2024 of conspiring with drug traffickers and utilizing his authorities place to assist a whole bunch of tons of cocaine enter the US.

That is growing information. Verify again for updates.