Ousted Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro is due to appear in a New York City federal court today, his first public legal appearance since U.S. forces captured him in Venezuela over the weekend and transferred him to the United States. A motorcade carrying Maduro was seen leaving the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn early Monday ahead of his expected appearance, where he faces drug trafficking and weapons charges.
Maduro's court appearance comes amid escalating rhetoric from President Donald Trump, who late Sunday declared that the U.S. is now effectively running Venezuela following the operation that led to Maduro's capture. "We're in charge," Trump said when pressed aboard Air Force One about who currently governs the country, adding that Washington would oversee Venezuela's political and economic future for now.
