Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro used his first court appearance in New York to firmly assert his political authority, declaring that he remains the country’s leader even as he stands trial on serious criminal charges in the United States
Maduro appeared before a US court to answer allegations bordering on drug trafficking and weapons offences, where he entered a not-guilty plea to all counts. Addressing the court, he openly rejected the accusations and insisted on his legitimacy, declaring, “I am still president.”
Speaking through an interpreter, he further proclaimed his innocence, saying, “I’m innocent. I’m not guilty. I’m a decent man, the president of my country,” according to the BBC.
The indictment against Maduro contains four counts, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices. The charges rank among the most severe ever brought against a sitting foreign leader by US authorities.
Outside the courthouse, the proceedings took on a political tone as protesters gathered, waving Venezuelan flags and chanting slogans, turning the area into a stage for competing narratives over sovereignty, justice and power.
Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, who was apprehended alongside him over the weekend, was also in court. She pleaded not guilty to similar drug trafficking and weapons-related charges, aligning her defence with her husband’s.
By using the courtroom to reaffirm his presidency, Maduro appeared to frame the case as more than a legal battle, portraying it as a broader struggle over who has the authority to hold him accountable.
The New York Times reported that Maduro also claimed he had been kidnapped.
Earlier, SaharaReporters reported that US Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced the indictment of Maduro and Flores on multiple criminal counts. The development followed a US military operation that reportedly involved airstrikes in Venezuela and the capture of the Venezuelan leader and his wife.
US President Donald Trump, in a social media post on Saturday, said the operation was carried out in collaboration with US law enforcement agencies.
In a statement shared on X, Bondi confirmed that the charges were filed in the Southern District of New York. “Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York,” she said.
According to her, “Nicholas Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess Machineguns and Destructive Devices against the United States.”
Bondi added that both defendants would be prosecuted in the US, stressing, “They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.”
Follow Us on Facebook – @LadunLiadi; Instagram – @LadunLiadi; Twitter – @LadunLiadi; Youtube – @LadunLiadiTV for updates
