Maduro and wife plead not guilty to narco-terrorism charges

Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and his wife, politician and attorney Cilia Flores, made their first court appearance at a federal court in New York City on Monday afternoon, pleading not guilty to all charges.

Maduro faces charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine-importation conspiracy, and weapons offences. Flores and other senior Venezuelan officials, including Maduro’s son, are also facing charges.
U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein is overseeing the proceedings. Monday’s hearing lasted less than an hour, during which both Maduro and Flores submitted their pleas. This marked one of the first public appearances of the former Venezuelan leader since U.S. forces captured him and his wife in Caracas over the weekend and brought them to the U.S. to face charges.

Maduro greeted those in the courtroom with “Happy New Year” and introduced himself as the president of Venezuela and a prisoner of war. Flores identified herself as the first lady of Venezuela, with her right eye appearing swollen and her forehead bandaged, possibly from injuries sustained during the U.S. military operation.
During the hearing, a heckler shouted, “You will pay in the name of the Venezuelan people.” Maduro responded, “I am a man of God.” The next court date is set for 17 March.

Outside the courtroom, crowds gathered, singing the Venezuelan national anthem and expressing mixed emotions. Some demanded Maduro’s release, opposing the U.S. operation, while others protested the harsh conditions under his regime.
Maduro and Flores were captured in their Caracas compound in a surprise U.S. military operation on Saturday. The same day, the U.S. Justice Department released a 25-page indictment accusing them and their allies of importing thousands of tons of cocaine into the U.S. with the protection of Venezuelan law enforcement. It alleges that Maduro provided traffickers with diplomatic passports and collaborated with drug cartels to ship cocaine via the Caribbean and Central America, beginning as early as 1999.

In a social media post over the weekend, Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that Maduro and his wife “will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.” If convicted, they could face life imprisonment.
Maduro is represented by Barry J. Pollack, a leading U.S. trial lawyer whose high-profile clients include Julian Assange and Enron executives. Flores is defended by Mark Donnelly, a Houston-based lawyer specialising in white-collar criminal defence. Neither attorney immediately responded to requests for comment on the proceedings or the government’s case against their clients. (NPR)