Nicolás Maduro, the deposed Venezuelan president, pleaded not guilty to all charges on Monday in his first hearing in a federal courtroom in New York City after being captured by U.S. forces.
The U.S. captured Maduro and brought him to New York on Saturday to face criminal charges. Prosecutors accused him of masterminding a drug trafficking operation and charged him with narcoterrorism, drug trafficking and weapons charges. Maduro was first indicted by the Southern District of New York in 2020.
“I’m innocent. I’m not guilty. I am a decent man,” Maduro said in court, according to The New York Times.
Maduro’s wife and co-defendant, Cilia Flores, also pleaded not guilty to all charges.
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Maduro reportedly said he had been “kidnapped” and suggested during the hearing that he had not been able to read the indictment ahead of time.
His lawyer, Barry Pollack, said he may file motions related to Maduro’s status as a head of state and is entitled to the immunity of that office, and that there were legal issues regarding what he called a “military abduction.”
Pollack said Maduro is not seeking release on bail but may at a later point. The next hearing is set for March 17.
Maduro’s capture, which took place without Congressional approval, came after a months-long ramp-up of pressure from the Trump administration on the Central American country. U.S. forces had struck dozens of small boats accused of drug trafficking, and then later captured Venezuela’s largest oil tanker.
Since Maduro’s arrest, President Donald Trump has asserted that the U.S. will control Venezuela for an indefinite amount of time but has offered few details on what that means. The county’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, said that she would look to cooperate with the United States, while asserting Venezuelan independence.
Trump on Sunday said he would consider similar action against Cuba and Colombia, with Trump telling reporters that Cuba “looks ready to fall.”
This article has been updated with further details from the hearing.
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