Deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife entered a plea of not guilty in a Manhattan federal court Monday, telling the judge, “I am a decent man, the president of my country.”
Wearing a blue jail uniform and listening to proceedings through a translation headset, Maduro made his first appearance following a high-security transfer via helicopter from a Brooklyn detention center.
He appeared to limp as he was escorted into the courthouse complex, just blocks from where President Trump faced trial in 2024.
READ: China To US: Stop Playing ‘World Police’ And Release Maduro
Federal prosecutors allege Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, led a “narco-terrorism” ring that conspired with cartels to flood the U.S. with cocaine.
If convicted, both face potential life sentences. Maduro’s defense team is expected to argue he holds sovereign immunity, a claim complicated by the U.S. refusal to recognize his 2024 reelection.
The arraignment occurred amid rising geopolitical tensions, with the Trump administration signaling a temporary move to secure Venezuela’s oil assets while limiting day-to-day governance of the country.
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