MANHATTAN, NY — Former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty to federal charges in a Manhattan courtroom on January 5, 2026. The appearance followed a surprise military raid in Caracas two days earlier that brought the pair into U.S. custody.
Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein is overseeing the case. Maduro and Flores face several federal charges, including narco-terrorism, which is terrorism linked to drug trafficking. They are also charged with conspiracy to bring cocaine into the United States and illegal possession of machine guns.
The Caracas Raid
On January 3, 2026, U.S. Army Delta Force commandos captured the couple during a surprise overnight mission at their residence in Venezuela. The operation involved U.S. missile strikes on military bases near Fuerte Tiuna, a major army base. Reports say these strikes damaged a nearby home.
President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the raid as a law enforcement mission meant to address criminal charges filed five years ago. However, reports say that Congress did not approve the military operation.
Courtroom Statements
During the 40-minute hearing, Maduro claimed through an interpreter that he had been "kidnapped." He argued that he should be treated as a "prisoner of war" rather than a criminal defendant and asserted that the court does not have the legal authority to try him.
Flores did not make similar claims but appeared in court with visible bandages. Her lawyers asked for a medical exam, including X-rays for possible broken ribs, and treatment for injuries she may have suffered during the arrest. The couple remains in federal custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center, a federal jail in Brooklyn.
Regional Military Action
The arrests occurred during a time of high military tension in the Caribbean. Since late 2025, the U.S. military has deployed about 12 warships and thousands of troops to enforce an oil blockade, which stops ships from moving oil in or out of Venezuela.
The New York Times reported that in the four months before the arrest, the U.S. military also attacked boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, resulting in dozens of deaths. Legal experts have described those actions as potential war crimes or unlawful killings.
The administration linked these actions to a crackdown on groups like the Tren de Aragua gang, which the U.S. called a terrorist organization in 2025. However, U.S. intelligence agencies reportedly found no evidence linking Maduro to that group.
Maduro and Flores—along with their son, who also faces charges in the case—are scheduled to return to court for a follow-up hearing on March 17, 2026.
