NEW YORK January 5, 2026 — Venezuela’s ousted leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, appeared in a Manhattan federal court on Monday, pleading not guilty to charges of narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and corruption. The hearing marked a dramatic chapter in U.S.-Venezuela relations following Maduro’s capture in a controversial U.S. military operation two days earlier.
Video footage circulating widely on social media, including a post from BRICS News showing the couple’s arrival, captured Maduro—dressed in his signature olive-green jacket—being escorted by heavily armed U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents and special forces from a helicopter. The scenes depict Maduro walking calmly but under tight security on what appears to be a helipad, surrounded by agents in tactical gear.
Maduro, 63, and Flores were arraigned before a U.S. district judge in the Southern District of New York, where prosecutors unsealed an updated indictment accusing the couple of leading a vast drug trafficking network known as the “Cartel of los Soles.” The charges allege that Maduro used his position to facilitate the shipment of thousands of tons of cocaine into the United States, partnering with corrupt officials and even issuing diplomatic passports to traffickers.
During the hearing, Maduro declared himself “innocent” and a “decent man,” maintaining that he remains Venezuela’s legitimate president. Shackled and wearing prison garb, he listened through an interpreter as the judge outlined the severe penalties, which could include life imprisonment.
The capture operation, conducted on January 3 in Caracas, involved U.S. special forces and has sparked global controversy. President Donald Trump described it as a “triumph” against narco-terrorism, but critics—including the United Nations and several allies—have condemned it as a violation of international law and sovereignty. Protests erupted outside the courthouse, with supporters denouncing U.S. “imperialism” and opponents celebrating the end of Maduro’s authoritarian rule.
Legal experts question the operation’s precedent, comparing it to the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama to arrest Manuel Noriega. The case now heads toward trial, with Maduro detained in a Brooklyn facility amid heightened security.
This development follows years of U.S. sanctions and a $50 million bounty on Maduro, escalating tensions in Latin America.
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