According to prosecutors, Maduro sits “at the forefront of that corruption,” using what the indictment describes as illegally obtained authority and compromised state institutions to move thousands of tons of cocaine into the U.S.
U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein summarized the charges during the crowded midday hearing and advised the couple of their rights before formally entering not guilty pleas on their behalf.
Flores (left) Maduro (second from left) meet with Brazil’s Lula da Silva.
The appearance launches what could become a lengthy criminal case against the Venezuelan leader and his wife. Any trial proceedings are expected to take months, if not longer.
Maduro has been in the crosshairs of the Justice Department for years. Manhattan federal prosecutors first charged him in 2020, accusing him of leading the Cartel de los Soles, a drug-trafficking network allegedly embedded in Venezuela’s government.
The same office previously handled the 2015 arrest of Flores’ nephews in Haiti on drug trafficking charges.
President Donald Trump said Saturday that U.S. forces captured Maduro following large-scale strikes across Venezuela.
Trump said the U.S. will “run” Venezuela until a “safe, proper, and judicious transition” can be arranged.