Captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro faced his first day in a New York court Monday.
Why it matters: His historic appearance on the heels of the shocking U.S. operation that President Trump ordered to depose him kicked off what is expected to be a protracted legal battle with major geopolitical implications.
Driving the news: Maduro pleaded not guilty at a federal courthouse in Manhattan Monday, per multiple reports, saying he is "innocent." His wife, Cilia Flores, also pleaded not guilty.
- Flores' attorney said she was injured in the U.S. operation targeting Maduro.
State of play: Judge Alvin Hellerstein, a 92-year-old Clinton appointee, will oversee the proceedings.
- Maduro and his wife "will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts," Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote in a Saturday statement.
Court filings show Maduro is represented by Barry Pollack, a veteran trial lawyer who represented Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.
- Flores will be represented by Texas attorney Mark Donnelly.
Here's what to know about Maduro's case.
What does the Maduro indictment accuse him of?
A newly unsealed indictment shared by Attorney General Pam Bondi Saturday paints a picture of an alleged cocaine trafficking web that transported tons of drugs to the U.S. and lined the pockets of corrupt Venezuelan officials.
- It alleges Maduro is "at the forefront" of more than 25 years of corruption and abuse of power.
- In addition to narco-terrorism conspiracy, Maduro is charged with cocaine importation conspiracy and weapon-related crimes.
Flashback: Since roughly 1999, the indictment reads, Maduro and co-defendants "partnered" with drug trafficking groups. The profits of the alleged illegal activity then flowed to corrupt officials, prosecutors allege.
- Maduro and members of his family and government allegedly provided law enforcement cover and logistical support for the movement of cocaine through the country.
Who are Maduro's co-defendants?
Maduro was charged alongside his wife, two politicians, his son and a man accused of leading the Tren de Aragua gang.
Zoom in: The political leaders charged in the indictment are Diosdado Cabello Rondón — Maduro's minister of interior, justice, and peace — and Ramón Rodríguez Chacín, the former interior minister.
- Rondón was previously indicted during Trump's first term alongside Maduro in 2020 on drug trafficking charges.
Maduro's son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, is a member of Venezuela's National Assembly who is known as "The Prince," according to the indictment.
- The indictment says he engaged in the alleged partnerships with narcotics traffickers. It alleges that between approximately 2014 and 2015, he would visit a Venezuelan island, where his plane would be loaded with drugs.
- It also alleges that he worked to ship hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Venezuela to Miami.
Lastly, the indictment names Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, who prosecutors say has served as the leader or co-leader of Tren de Aragua for over a decade, "acting as the mastermind over TdA's expansion across the Western Hemisphere."
- He also goes by nicknames like "Niño Guerrero" and, according to CBS News, "The Big Eyebrow."
What are world leaders and legal scholars saying?
The U.S. operation to apprehend Maduro garnered mixed reactions domestically and abroad, with some world leaders acknowledging the illegitimacy of the Maduro regime while urging deescalation.
- Others, including Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, condemned the operation as an infringement of Venezuela's sovereignty. The Chinese and Russian foreign ministries also accused the U.S. of "blatant use of force" and an "act of armed aggression," respectively.
- Gerardo Fernández Noroña, the former president of Mexico's Senate, said in a social media post translated by The New York Times, that Maduro was "a prisoner of war."
The intrigue: After Panama's Manuel Noriega was arrested more than three decades ago, he fought to be considered a prisoner of war — a challenge he ultimately won, resulting in him receiving certain privileges.
What we're watching: Steve Vladeck, a professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, writes in his "One First" newsletter that Maduro will likely raise a number objections to his prosecution, such as alleging that his arrest was unlawful that he should receive head-of-state immunity.
- He notes, "the prosecution will be no slam dunk, especially with regard to the charges against Maduro himself."
Go deeper: Maduro likely headed for "inhumane" jail that housed Ghislaine Maxwell
Editor's note: This story was updated with additional details and context.
