Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has told a packed US court room of reporters and the public that he has been kidnapped since January 3rd 2026.
It will be recalled that President Donald Trump had announced the US had carried out a large-scale strike on the capital city of Caracas, capturing President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
According to President Trump, the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of the country.
Donald Trump, in a post, stated, “ The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country.
This operation was done in conjunction with the U.S. Law Enforcement”.
Later the U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife have been officially charged.
According to Pamela Bondi, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife have been charged with multiple criminal offences, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess such weapons against the United States.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi wrote in a post, “ Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York. Nicolas Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess Machineguns and Destructive Devices against the United States.
They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts. On behalf of the entire U.S. DOJ, I would like to thank President Trump for having the courage to demand accountability on behalf of the American People, and a huge thank you to our brave military who conducted the incredible and highly successful mission to capture these two alleged international narco traffickers”.
The Venezuelan president, during his and his wife’s dramatic 40-minute arraignment on Monday afternoon, pleaded not guilty to drug and weapon charges.
After making his entrance, Judge Alvin Hellerstein asked Maduro to confirm his identity so the proceedings could start.
He stated, “I am, sir, Nicolás Maduro. I am the president of the Republic of Venezuela, and I am here kidnapped since January 3rd,” he told the court in a calm Spanish before an interpreter translated for the court. “I was captured at my home in Caracas, Venezuela.”
“I’m innocent. I’m a decent man,” Maduro said, with Flores adding that she was “completely innocent”.
The Venezuelan president was dressed in blue and orange jail shirts and khaki pants; the two wore headphones to listen to a Spanish translation during the hearing, with an attorney sitting between them.
“He maintained this calm and expressionless demeanour during the proceedings, even at the end, when a man watching from the public area suddenly shouted that Maduro would “pay” for his crimes”.
He shouted towards the man in the audience in Spanish, “I’m a president and prisoner of war”. He was then escorted out of the room in tears.
“Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, was much calmer, with bandages near her eyes and forehead for injuries her lawyers said she sustained during their weekend arrest.
She spoke softly with her blonde hair tied back in a bun while her lawyers asked that she be given proper medical treatment, including an X-ray of potentially bruised ribs and a fracture.
Maduro and his wife did not seek bail during the proceedings, but can do so at a later date, meaning they will remain in federal custody.
President Maduro was charged alongside his wife, son and several others. The next court hearing in the case has been scheduled for 17 March”, the BBC stated.
Additionally, the US has, for years, accused Nicolas Maduro of “drug trafficking and narco-terrorism — linking him to criminal networks that export illegal drugs, especially fentanyl, into the United States; corruption and repression — claiming his government is illegitimate, unfairly rigged elections, and has jailed political opponents; threat to US security and regional stability — including designating Venezuelan criminal organizations as foreign terrorist groups”.
“The US Justice Department previously indicted Maduro on federal charges, and the Trump administration offered a reward of up to $50 million for information leading to his arrest”.