Chhabed Sathee: Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan federal court Monday morning — their first public appearance since US forces captured them in a dramatic military raid on Caracas over the weekend.
"I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent president of my country," Maduro said, speaking through an interpreter, when asked by the judge for his plea.
He was then interrupted by the judge, who interjected, "A not guilty plea will be entered on behalf of Mr. Maduro."
Asked for her plea, Flores said through an interpreter, "Not guilty. Completely innocent."
Maduro and his wife were arraigned on several federal charges. Maduro faces a narco-terrorism conspiracy count, and both face counts of cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.
The 25-page indictment filed against Maduro, his wife, son, and three others alleges that for over 25 years, Venezuelan leaders "have abused their positions of public trust and corrupted once-legitimate institutions to import tons of cocaine into the United States."
The indictment, which was made public on Saturday, says Maduro is "at the forefront of that corruption and has partnered with his co-conspirators to use his illegally obtained authority and the institutions he corroded to transport thousands of tons of cocaine to the United States."
During the packed noon hearing, US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein read the couple a summary of their charges and informed Maduro and his wife of their rights before the pair entered not guilty pleas.
The court appearance marks the beginning of a case that could lead to a criminal trial for Maduro and his wife. Any proceedings, however, would likely take several months to unfold.
Maduro has long been a target of the US Justice Department. Manhattan federal prosecutors first indicted him in 2020, accusing him of heading the drug-trafficking network, the Cartel de los Soles.
In 2015, the nephews of Maduro's wife, Flores, were arrested in Haiti and charged with drug trafficking by the same office handling the Maduro case.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump said the US captured the Venezuelan president following large-scale strikes on the South American nation.
Trump said the US will "run" Venezuela until a "safe, proper, and judicious transition" can be facilitated. It remains unclear how the Trump administration would carry out this plan and for how long.
(*This report is produced by Bangla Press. Republishing our content, images, or broadcasts in any other media outlet without permission is strictly prohibited.)
BP/SM
