The first court appearance for Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, took place today at noon in New York. Both of them pleaded not guilty, but in Maduro's case there was a bit of an outburst as he twice proclaimed he was still the president of Venezuela.
Minutes after today's proceedings started, Judge Alvin Hellerstein asked Nicolás Maduro to identify himself.
"I am the president of Venezuela. I was captured at my home in Caracas, Venezuela," Maduro said in Spanish in court.
A summary of the charges against him were read out loud. Maduro is facing four counts and Flores is facing three.
Maduro, 63, has been charged with four counts: narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.
Flores, 69, has been charged with three counts: cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.
After hearing the charges against him, Maduro again claimed he was still president.
"I am not guilty," Maduro said in Spanish when Judge Hellerstein asked how he would plead.
"I am a decent man. I am still the president of my country," Maduro added.
It's not really clear from these descriptions but according to Fox News, both of Maduro's attempts to speak were shut down by the judge.
Maduro made the remarks during his arraignment in federal court on Monday, but Jude Alvin Hellerstein repeatedly shut down his attempts to speak. Maduro pleaded not guilty to all four counts against him...
Maduro also attempted to give a detailed description of his capture from Venezuela, but Hellerstein cut him off and said there would be time for him to make his case later.
When informed by the judge that he had the right to an attorney, Maduro claimed he was not previously aware of these rights. But his wife apparently already has an attorney.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores, has enlisted the services of a veteran U.S. prosecutor to serve as her defense attorney amid her indictment in New York, court filings show.
Texas Attorney Mark Donnelly filed a motion to serve as counsel for Flores on Monday. He previously served twelve years at the Department of Justice, including as Senior Advisor to the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas...
The Texas House of Representatives also enlisted Donnelly to assist in the 2023 investigation and impeachment trial for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Paxton's impeachment case made it to the Texas Senate, but he was ultimately acquitted on all charges.
And just in the last hour, the Wall Street Journal is reporting Maduro also has an attorney.
Barry Pollack, a high-profile defense lawyer who previously represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, is defending Nicolás Maduro, according to a notice of appearance entered with the court. Pollack, a partner at Harris St. Laurent & Wechsler LLP, also represented a former Enron Corp. accountant who was acquitted at trial.
Neither Maduro nor Flores asked for bail but both left the possibility of requesting it open for later. The next hearing was set for March 17.
On the way out of the courthouse today, a heckler said Maduro was going to pay for his crimes.
The heckler, 33-year-old Pedro Rojas, said that "in the name of the people of Venezuela, Maduro will pay," according to a translation.
Maduro responded, saying in Spanish, "I am a kidnapped president. I am a prisoner of war."
I guess we'll see how it goes for him but I don't think his claim to be a victim is going to hold up very well.
MADURO LEAVES NY COURT
— sorinnicola9698380606 (@alocin969873912) January 5, 2026
Next hearing on March 17th@MTodayNews pic.twitter.com/uaLIa0rrKp
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