Nicolas Maduro pleads not guilty to US narco-terrorism charges in court

Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores have entered not guilty pleas to a series of U.S. federal charges, including leading a narco-terrorism conspiracy. Appearing before a judge in New York on Monday, Maduro declared his innocence and challenged the legality of his capture by American forces.

The court appearance and pleas

"I am innocent. I am not guilty of anything that is mentioned here," Maduro told U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, according to courtroom reports. His wife, Cilia Flores, similarly stated she was "completely innocent." The couple, who were advised of their right to consular visits, did not request bail and remain held at a federal detention center in Brooklyn. Their next court date is set for March 17.

The charges and defense strategy

The four-count indictment unsealed over the weekend accuses Maduro of leading a decades-long conspiracy to flood the United States with cocaine, using state institutions and armed groups. His defense attorney, Barry Pollack—who previously represented Julian Assange—signaled a likely challenge to the legality of the proceedings, stating there are "questions about the legality of his military abduction." Maduro himself told the court, "I was captured at my home in Caracas, Venezuela," and alleged he was "kidnapped" by the U.S.

An unprecedented legal and political clash

The courtroom drama sets the stage for an extraordinary legal battle with profound geopolitical implications. The U.S. judicial system is now tasked with adjudicating charges against a foreign head of state captured by the military of the prosecuting nation—a scenario with scant precedent in modern international law. For nations like Türkiye, which uphold the principle that leaders enjoy immunity and oppose extraterritorial enforcement of national laws, this case represents a critical test of the international legal order and risks normalizing the use of military force for law enforcement abroad.