Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores Appear in New York Court Following U.S. Capture

Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores appeared before federal Judge Alvin Hellerstein in a Manhattan court on Thursday for their second hearing since their capture in Caracas on January 3, 2026, as defense attorneys sought dismissal of drug trafficking and weapons charges on constitutional grounds. Maduro faces four counts including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices, while Flores faces four related counts including two counts of conspiracy to import cocaine and weapons-related offenses. Defense attorneys Barry J. Pollack and Mark E. Donnelly argued that the Office of Foreign Assets Control revoked licenses that would have allowed the Venezuelan government to pay their legal fees, calling the revocation an "administrative error" and arguing it violates the Sixth Amendment right to counsel of one's choosing. Legal experts cited in reporting considered it unlikely that Hellerstein would grant the dismissal request. Maduro ruled Venezuela since March 2013. He was captured alongside Flores in the early hours of January 3, 2026, during a U.S. military operation in Caracas ordered by President Donald Trump, known as Operation Absolute Resolution. According to Venezuelan officials, at least 83 people were killed and more than 112 were injured in the operation. No U.S. personnel were killed. Maduro had first appeared before a U.S. court on January 5, 2026, at which time he declared himself a "prisoner of war" and pleaded not guilty, identifying himself as the legitimate president of Venezuela.

Defense argues sanctions block Maduro's right to a lawyer The central legal dispute at Thursday's hearing turned on who bears responsibility for funding Maduro's defense. Maduro and Flores contend that they lack personal resources to pay for private counsel and that Venezuelan law obligates the state to cover their defense costs. Prosecutors countered that U.S. sanctions prohibit the use of funds controlled by a sanctioned government and that the couple may use their own personal funds. On January 9, 2026, OFAC initially granted the requested authorization for Maduro and Flores to access Venezuelan state funds, but revoked the first license less than three hours later and the second a few weeks after that, according to BBC reporting. Pollack argued in a court filing that this sequence of events constitutes government interference with Maduro's constitutional right to counsel. „By not allowing the Government of Venezuela to pay the costs of Maduro's defense, the OFAC is interfering with Maduro's ability to hire a lawyer and, therefore, with his right, under the Sixth Amendment, to a lawyer of his choosing.” — Barry Pollack via Europa Press Ronald Allen, a law professor at Northwestern University specializing in criminal procedure, told BBC Mundo that the request to dismiss the indictment is "absurd," reflecting the broader legal consensus that the motion faces steep odds. The defense also rejected the government's offer to assign public defenders, arguing it deprives the defendants of the right to choose their own representatives.

Scuffles outside courthouse as Venezuelans and leftist protesters clash Tension flared outside the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan on Thursday morning, where Venezuelan exiles and left-wing protesters supporting Maduro exchanged heated arguments and at least one punch before police intervened with barricades. Venezuelan exile Franklin Gómez arrived carrying a large doll of Maduro dressed in prison clothing and shackles, and was struck by one of the pro-Maduro demonstrators during a moment of confrontation. „We believe in American justice, justice will be done sooner or later.” — Franklin Gómez via ABC Tu Diario en Español Among those demanding accountability was Nelly Saucedo, who carried a sign bearing the image of Fernando Loaiza, a mayor she said had been detained by the Venezuelan government. Gómez said many Venezuelan exiles had also come to press for the release of political prisoners still held in Venezuela, including those at the detention facility known as the Helicoide. Reporters on the scene noted that most of the pro-Maduro demonstrators did not speak Spanish and struggled to pronounce some of their own chants, with the group's signs attributed to an organization called Socialista Camino a la Libertad.

Maduro held in Brooklyn as Venezuela shifts under Rodríguez Maduro and Flores have been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since January 5, 2026, spending nearly three months in custody ahead of any trial date. According to a source close to the Venezuelan government cited by Deutsche Welle, Maduro spends 23 hours a day in his cell, is isolated from internet and newspapers, reads the Bible, and is permitted a maximum of 15 minutes of phone contact with family and lawyers. 83 (people killed) — Venezuelan official death toll from the January 3 operation Maduro's son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, known as Nicolasito, said in a video published on the X network that his father is in good health and exercising daily. „We are going to see a slim president, an athlete, he is exercising every day. He is well, very upbeat and strong.” — Nicolás Maduro Guerra via LaVanguardia Back in Venezuela, acting president Delcy Rodríguez — who served as Maduro's vice president before assuming the interim presidency following his capture — has moved to reshape the government, replacing senior officials including the defense minister and attorney general, reorganizing agencies, reestablishing diplomatic relations with the United States, and reforming state television. Judge Hellerstein, 92, had not set a trial date as of Thursday's hearing, though prosecutors had proposed moving the scheduling hearing from March 17 to March 26 for logistical and protocol reasons.

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