BREAKING: Maduro And Wife Issue Pleas At Manhattan Arraignment

Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty Monday in a Manhattan federal courtroom, marking their first public appearance since U.S. forces extracted them in a dramatic weekend raid in Caracas.

“I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent president of my country,” Maduro said through an interpreter when the judge asked for his plea.

The judge cut him off moments later, saying, “A not guilty plea will be entered on behalf of Mr. Maduro.”

Flores followed, also speaking through an interpreter, saying, “Not guilty. Completely innocent.”

The couple was arraigned on a slate of federal charges. Prosecutors accuse Maduro of narco-terrorism conspiracy. Both he and Flores face counts tied to cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.

A 25-page indictment unsealed Saturday alleges that for more than a quarter-century, Venezuelan leaders “have abused their positions of public trust and corrupted once-legitimate institutions to import tons of cocaine into the United States.”

According to prosecutors, Maduro sits “at the forefront of that corruption,” using what the indictment describes as illegally obtained authority and compromised state institutions to move thousands of tons of cocaine into the U.S.

U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein summarized the charges during the crowded midday hearing and advised the couple of their rights before formally entering not guilty pleas on their behalf.

Flores (left) Maduro (second from left) meet with Brazil’s Lula da Silva.

The appearance launches what could become a lengthy criminal case against the Venezuelan leader and his wife. Any trial proceedings are expected to take months, if not longer.

Maduro has been in the crosshairs of the Justice Department for years. Manhattan federal prosecutors first charged him in 2020, accusing him of leading the Cartel de los Soles, a drug-trafficking network allegedly embedded in Venezuela’s government.

The same office previously handled the 2015 arrest of Flores’ nephews in Haiti on drug trafficking charges.

President Donald Trump said Saturday that U.S. forces captured Maduro following large-scale strikes across Venezuela.

Trump said the U.S. will “run” Venezuela until a “safe, proper, and judicious transition” can be arranged.

Download the FREE Trending Politics App to get the latest news FIRST >>