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Captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is escorted, as he heads towards the Daniel Patrick Manhattan United States Courthouse for an initial appearance to face U.S. federal charges including narco-terrorism, conspiracy, drug trafficking, money laundering and others, at Downtown Manhattan Heliport, in New York City, US. (IMAGE: REUTERS)
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News18•05-01-2026, 23:02

Maduro Pleads 'Not Guilty' to US Narco-Terrorism Charges, Claims Presidency

  • •Former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro pleaded "not guilty" to drug trafficking and narco-terrorism charges in a US federal court in Manhattan.
  • •Maduro asserted he was "still Venezuela President" and a "decent man," claiming he was forcibly "captured" from Venezuela.
  • •US prosecutors accuse Maduro of leading a state-backed drug trafficking network that smuggled large quantities of cocaine into the United States.
  • •He faces charges including narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking conspiracy, carrying potential sentences from decades to life in prison.
  • •His lawyers plan to challenge the arrest's legality, arguing sovereign immunity, but the US does not recognize him as Venezuela's legitimate leader.

Why It Matters: Nicolás Maduro denies US narco-terrorism charges, asserting his presidential legitimacy despite US non-recognition.

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