Maduro pleads not guilty in New York court; next hearing set for March 17

CNN and Reuters reported the information.

Maduro was charged with illegal possession of drugs and weapons. He told the judge that he is still the president of Venezuela and not guilty of what is mentioned here. His wife, Cilia Flores, said the same.

According to Reuters, the hearing lasted about half an hour. In particular, Maduro's attorney Barry Pollack called the actions against his client a military kidnapping. He also anticipates a lengthy and complex trial.

Meanwhile, the defense attorney for his wife claimed that Flores sustained significant injuries and has bruising on her ribs. He requested that she be provided with an X-ray and physical examination.

At the end of the hearing, the American judge ordered Maduro to appear in court on March 17.

The couple was flown to New York by helicopter, then transferred to an armored vehicle to be driven directly to the entrance.

According to The Washington Post, the hearing will be conducted by U.S. District Court Judge Alvin Hellerstein, a 92-year-old veteran of the judicial system who has presided over a number of high-profile cases.

The 25-page indictment, which can be reviewed here, alleges that for over 25 years, "Venezuelan leaders abused their positions of public trust and corrupted once-legitimate institutions to import tons of cocaine into the United States." U.S. prosecutors claim that the Maduro clan collaborated with drug traffickers and narco-terrorists to flood the United States with "thousands of tons of cocaine." According to the indictment, this drug trafficking enriched Maduro, his family, and members of Venezuela's political and military elite. 

Previously, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated that the Southern District of New York had charged Maduro and Flores with narco-terrorism.

• American special forces captured Maduro in Venezuela and transported him by aircraft carrier to New York, where he and his wife were charged with narco-terrorism.

• In New York, Maduro was taken off the plane and then transported to the detention center in Brooklyn.