Ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores, made their preliminary look in Manhattan federal court docket on Monday following their seize by U.S. forces in a military operation in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, with Maduro claiming, “I’m harmless.”
The couple — who’re being held in federal custody at MDC-Brooklyn — appeared in entrance of Choose Alvin Hellerstein. Maduro was escorted into the courtroom in shackles and orange jail slippers and is sitting two seats away from his spouse.
Captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro arrives on the Downtown Manhattan Heliport, as he heads in the direction of the Daniel Patrick Manhattan United States Courthouse for an preliminary look to face U.S. federal fees together with narco-terrorism, conspiracy, drug trafficking, cash laundering and others in New York Metropolis, January 5, 2026.
Eduardo Munoz/Reuters
Maduro and Flores wore headphones to listen to the court-provided interpreter.
When Maduro took his seat subsequent to protection legal professional Barry Pollack, he instantly started writing on a notepad. Flores sat subsequent to her legal professional, Mark Donnelly.
Maduro stood earlier than the decide.
“Are you, sir, Nicolas Maduro Moros?” Hellerstein requested.
Maduro declared, by way of an interpreter, “I’m the president of Venezuela.” He added, “I used to be captured at my house in Caracas, Venezuela,” earlier than the decide interrupted and instructed him there could be time later to problem his custody.
Maduro then affirmed he’s who the decide stated he’s.
Captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro arrives on the Downtown Manhattan Heliport, as he heads in the direction of the Daniel Patrick Manhattan United States Courthouse for an preliminary look to face U.S. federal fees together with narco-terrorism, conspiracy, drug trafficking, cash laundering and others in New York Metropolis, January 5, 2026.
Eduardo Munoz/Reuters
Hellerstein learn Maduro the usual rights.
Maduro stated, by way of an interpreter, “I didn’t know of those rights. Your Honor is informing me of them now.”
“How do you plead to the indictment?” Hellerstein requested.
Maduro responded, “I’m harmless. I’m not responsible. I’m an honest man. I’m nonetheless president of my nation.”
“I’m harmless. I’m not responsible of something talked about right here,” Maduro responded, by way of an interpreter, when requested to repeat his plea the fees.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is escorted, as he heads to an preliminary court docket look to face U.S. federal fees together with narco-terrorism, conspiracy, drug trafficking, cash laundering and others in New York Metropolis, January 5, 2026.
Adam Grey/Reuters
Hellerstein then turned to Maduro’s spouse.
“I’m Cilia Flores,” she stated. “I’m first girl of the Republic of Venezuela.”
Hellerstein interjected, saying, “The aim right now is simply to ask you who you’re.” The decide then defined her rights to stay silent and to be represented by an legal professional.
“Sure I perceive and I’ve heard it,” Flores stated.
Ousted President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela and his spouse, Cilia Flores arrive on the Wall Avenue Heliport in New York Metropolis, January 5, 2026.
Kyle Mazza-CNP/Shutterstock
Requested how she pleaded to the three counts of the indictment she faces. Flores responded, “Not responsible — fully harmless.”
Maduro and Flores are amongst six defendants named in a four-count superseding indictment that accused them of conspiring with violent, harmful drug traffickers for the final 25 years. Maduro has lengthy denied all of the allegations.
Dueling teams of protesters have gathered throughout the road from the courthouse; one is holding indicators urging President Donald Trump to “Free President Maduro,” and the opposite is supportive of his seize.
Extra individuals protesting in opposition to what they name “unlawful kidnapping” are anticipated to reach shortly earlier than the court docket look.
Folks protest in opposition to U.S. strikes in opposition to Venezuela and the seize of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, exterior the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in New York Metropolis, January 5, 2026.
Jeenah Moon/Reuters
Folks protest in opposition to U.S. strikes in opposition to Venezuela and the seize of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, exterior the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in New York Metropolis, January 5, 2026.
Timothy A. Clary/AFP through Getty Photographs
Maduro’s son, two high-ranking Venezuelan officers and an alleged chief of the Tren de Aragua felony gang are the opposite defendants.
Trump stated on Saturday that the U.S. “efficiently carried out a large-scale strike in opposition to Venezuela” through which Maduro and Flores have been “captured and flown out of the Nation.”
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro is escorted by U.S. Drug Enforcement Brokers after arriving in New York Metropolis, January 3, 2026.
Obtained by ABC Information
Trump stated the operation was carried out at the side of U.S. regulation enforcement. Members of Congress stated the navy, which sources stated included the elite Delta Pressure, was in place to assist that regulation enforcement operation.
In a transfer that alarmed some observers, Trump, who campaigned on “America First” and in opposition to overseas entanglements, stated throughout a press convention at Mar-a-Lago the U.S. would “run” Venezuela for an unspecified “time frame.”
He stated a staff comprised of a few of his Cupboard officers together with an area staff in Venezuela could be “working the nation” as a result of there may be “no one to take over.”
“We’ll run it correctly. We’ll run it professionally. We’ll have the best oil firms on this planet go in and make investments billions and billions of {dollars} and take out cash, use that cash in Venezuela, and the largest beneficiary are going to be the individuals of Venezuela,” Trump stated.
This seize taken on Jan. 3, 2026, from UGC footage launched by Jose Abreu in his X account @Jabreu89, reveals smoke billowing over Caracas after a collection of explosions a part of a US navy operation that led to the seize of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
@Jabreu89/X through AFP through Getty Photographs
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has been sworn in as interim chief to guide the nation after what the Venezuelan Supreme Court docket described as Maduro’s “kidnapping.”
Rodriguez demanded Maduro’s return and vowed to defend Venezuela in opposition to American aggression.
View of a broken constructing in Catia La Mar, La Guaira State, Venezuela, January 4, 2026, a day after Venezuela’s chief Nicolas Maduro was captured in a US strike.
Federico Parra/AFP through Getty Photographs
On Sunday, Rodriguez posted an announcement to social media through which she appeared to melt her tone, inviting “the U.S. authorities to collaborate with us on an agenda of cooperation oriented in the direction of shared growth inside the framework of worldwide regulation to strengthen lasting group coexistence.”
Trump instructed reporters on Sunday that the U.S. is “in cost” of Venezuela.
The president stated he had not but spoken to Rodriguez. Requested if he needed to, Trump stated, “On the proper time, I’ll.”
ABC Information’ Meghan Mistry and Hannah Demissie contributed to this report.
