Maduro, Wife Plead Not Guilty in Manhattan Federal Court to Narco‑Terrorism Charges
On Monday, former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro appeared before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, where he pleaded not guilty to multiple narcotics‑related charges.
Presiding judge Alvin Hellerstein opened the hearing by summarising the indictment.
Maduro, aged 63, appeared in shackles and prison attire, responding through an interpreter, and his wife, Cilia Flores, both pleaded not guilty. The next hearing date was fixed for 17 March.
Maduro faces four criminal counts, including: narco‑terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, possession of machine guns and destructive devices
Prosecutors allege that Maduro oversaw a transnational cocaine‑trafficking network involving Mexico’s Sinaloa and Zetas cartels, Colombia’s FARC rebels, and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang.
Maduro’s counsel, Barry Pollack, described the arrest as a “military abduction” and signalled complex litigation ahead.
Flores’s lawyer, Mark Donnelly, raised concerns about her physical condition, requesting medical evaluation for injuries sustained during the raid.
Maduro was first indicted in 2020 in a long‑running U.S. narcotics case against Venezuelan officials and Colombian guerrillas.
The updated indictment now includes Flores as a co‑defendant.
The U.S. has regarded Maduro as an illegitimate leader since the disputed 2018 Venezuelan election.
