Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro pleaded not guilty to narco-terrorism charges during his first court appearance in New York, claiming he had been "kidnapped" by the United States. Wearing a prison jumpsuit and headphones in the courtroom, the once-strongman told the judge he was a "decent man" and insisted he had done nothing wrong.
It was his first public statement since U.S. Delta Force troops carried out a dramatic raid Saturday, capturing him from his bedroom inside the presidential palace in Caracas. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, his most trusted confidante, now face sweeping drug-trafficking and weapons charges — offenses that could carry the death penalty if they are convicted.
Pleading His Innocence
"I'm innocent. I'm not guilty. I am a decent man," Maduro said, according to court reporters. Maduro is being represented by Barry J. Pollack, a high-profile Washington, D.C.–based attorney best known for his role in helping secure the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
Pollack and the rest of Maduro's legal team are expected to challenge the case at its foundation, arguing that the arrest itself was unlawful and that Maduro is shielded from prosecution because he remains a sovereign head of state.
Maduro told the court it was the "very first time" he had laid eyes on the indictment, adding that he would prefer to read it himself.
According to court reporters, he then addressed U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein directly, insisting that he had been "kidnapped" from his home. When Hellerstein asked him to identify himself, Maduro replied that he is the president of Venezuela and said he was "captured at my home in Caracas, Venezuela."
Judge Cuts Off Maduro Swiftly
The court hearing for Maduro and his wife wrapped up after that, with Hellerstein setting their next appearance for March 17 at 11 a.m. ET. As the session ended, Maduro was seen shaking his lawyer's hand before turning over his handwritten notes to a U.S. marshal and being led out of the courtroom.
The Trump administration has long dismissed Maduro's government as "illegitimate," accusing him of clinging to power through rigged elections — including the most recent vote in 2024. Under Venezuela's constitution, Executive Vice President Delcy Rodríguez would be next in line to assume the presidency.
For now, Maduro and his wife, Flores, are being held in separate solitary cells at Brooklyn's notorious Metropolitan Detention Center.
The facility is under heavy security, with armed law enforcement officers stationed outside. Over the years, the jail has housed some of the world's most high-profile detainees, including Mexican drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, disgraced music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, and Luigi Mangione, who is accused of killing the CEO of UnitedHealthcare.
