NEW YORK — Ousted Venezuelan chief Nicolas Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores, made their preliminary look in Manhattan federal courtroom on Monday following their seize by U.S. forces in a navy operation within the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, with Maduro claiming, “I’m harmless.”
Maduro advised the courtroom he’s “nonetheless president of my nation” and his legal professional signaled they could attempt to assert Maduro is entitled to safety from prosecution as head of a sovereign state.
There are “points in regards to the legality of his navy abduction,” his legal professional Barry Pollack stated.
Maduro and Flores — who’re being held in federal custody at MDC-Brooklyn — appeared in entrance of Choose Alvin Hellerstein at midday.
N.J. Burkett experiences from exterior the courtroom in Decrease Manhattan.
When he entered the courtroom, Maduro greeted the spectators, saying, “Buenos dias.” Maduro was escorted into the courtroom in shackles and orange jail slippers and sat two seats away from his spouse.
The couple wore headphones to listen to the court-provided interpreter.
When Maduro took his seat subsequent to Pollack, he instantly started writing on a notepad. Flores sat subsequent to her legal professional, Mark Donnelly.
Maduro stood earlier than the choose.
“Are you, sir, Nicolas Maduro Moros?” Hellerstein requested.
Maduro declared, by means of an interpreter, “I’m the president of Venezuela.” He added, “I used to be captured at my dwelling in Caracas, Venezuela,” earlier than the choose interrupted and advised him there could be time later to problem his custody.
Maduro then affirmed he’s who the choose stated he’s.
Hellerstein learn Maduro the usual rights.
Maduro stated, by means 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.”
Kemberly Richardson experiences from Decrease Manhattan.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated he believes Maduro is just not the respectable president of the nation. That was additionally the place of the Biden administration, which supplied a $25 million reward for his arrest in January 2025.
“I’m harmless. I’m not responsible of something talked about right here,” Maduro responded, by means of an interpreter, when requested to repeat his plea to the fees.
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 in the present day is simply to ask you who you’re.” The choose 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 Venezuelan chief Nicolas Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores, made their preliminary look in Manhattan federal courtroom on Monday following their seize by U.S. forces in a navy operation within the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, with Maduro claiming, “I’m harmless.”
Requested how she pleaded to the three counts of the indictment she faces. Flores responded, “Not responsible — fully harmless.”
“As residents of the state of Venezuela, you may have the precise to seek the advice of with consular officers,” Hellerstein knowledgeable Maduro and Flores.
“We perceive it and we want to have such consular visits,” Maduro stated.
Maduro took notes through the continuing and he requested the choose for permission to maintain them.
Maduro and Flores didn’t ask for bail. The choose stated he’s open to receiving a bail software sooner or later, however the couple will in any other case stay detained at MDC-Brooklyn.
Donnelly stated Flores was injured through the navy operation and requested a medical briefing. A bruise was evident on Flores’ head.
“She sustained important accidents. There’s fear she could have a fracture or extreme bruising on her ribs,” Donnelly stated.
As Maduro was being led from the courtroom, somebody within the gallery stood and shouted in Spanish, partly, “You’ll pay within the identify of Venezuela.”
Maduro stopped and responded in Spanish, “I’m the elected president. I’m a prisoner of conflict. I shall be free.”
The subsequent courtroom date is about for March 17.
Earlier than Monday’s listening to, dueling teams of protesters gathered throughout the road from the courthouse. One group held indicators urging President Donald Trump to “Free President Maduro,” and the opposite supported of his seize.
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.
Maduro’s son, two high-ranking Venezuelan officers and an alleged chief of the Tren de Aragua legal gang are the opposite defendants.
Trump stated on Saturday that the U.S. “efficiently carried out a large-scale strike in opposition to Venezuela” during which Maduro and Flores have been “captured and flown out of the Nation.”
Trump stated the operation was carried out along with U.S. regulation enforcement. Members of Congress stated the navy, which sources stated included the elite Delta Power, was in place to help that regulation enforcement operation.
In a transfer that alarmed some observers, Trump, who campaigned on “America First” and in opposition to international entanglements, stated throughout a press convention at Mar-a-Lago the U.S. would “run” Venezuela for an unspecified “time period.”
He stated a group comprised of a few of his Cupboard officers together with a neighborhood group in Venezuela could be “working the nation” as a result of there’s “no one to take over.”
“We’ll run it correctly. We’ll run it professionally. We’ll have the best oil firms on the planet go in and make investments billions and billions of {dollars} and take out cash, use that cash in Venezuela, and the most important beneficiary are going to be the folks of Venezuela,” Trump stated.
On Monday evening in Washington, a labeled briefing was held from Trump administration officers to congressional leaders on what occurred in Caracas.
“Our understanding is that that is an operation that solely required discover to Congress and never prior authorization,” stated Home Speaker Mike Johnson.
Johnson says he was notified hours after the navy operation started.
Home Minority chief Hakeem Jeffries insisted it did want congressional approval.
“Why are we participating in this type of aggressive navy habits on behalf of oil firms that make billions of {dollars} of revenue every 12 months?” he stated.
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has been sworn in as interim chief to guide the nation after what the Venezuelan Supreme Courtroom described as Maduro’s “kidnapping.”
Trump signaled that he may transcend Venezuela, with 15,000 U.S. service members now within the area.
Rodriguez demanded Maduro’s return and vowed to defend Venezuela in opposition to American aggression.
Dan Krauth experiences on the interim president of Venezuela.
On Sunday, Rodriguez posted an announcement to social media during 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 throughout the framework of worldwide regulation to strengthen lasting neighborhood coexistence.”
Trump advised 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.
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