The dictator of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, arrived this Monday morning (5) at the federal court in Manhattan, where they will make their first appearance in court, scheduled for 12 pm local time (2 pm Brasília time). Maduro was captured on Saturday (3) in Caracas and later extradited to the USA.
He and his wife were taken from the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) to a field on the outskirts of the city, where they boarded a helicopter that took them to a helipad near the courthouse. The helicopter landed minutes later near the courthouse.
They were then escorted in a convoy of five vehicles, under strong police protection, to the court, according to images released by the American press. The police closed several surrounding streets during the security operation.
Maduro, escorted by agents from the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), got down with great difficulty, according to local press reports, and had to be helped by agents to get into an armored vehicle that took him to the court.
This Monday’s hearing marks the first time that Maduro appears before a US court since the Department of Justice made public, on Saturday, the formal indictment against him for crimes related to drug trafficking, originally filed in 2020.
Police officers mobilized at the New York court where dictator Nicolás Maduro will be presented this Monday (5). Credit: EFE/ Angel Colmenares This expanded indictment reiterates the charges against Maduro, the main defendant, of conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to use such weapons.
But for the first time, the indictment includes Cilia Flores, Maduro’s wife, who prosecutors say based on their investigation played a role in coordinating meetings and providing logistical support to the criminal network.
Captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro arrives at a Manhattan heliport, as he heads towards a New York City courthouse for an initial appearance to face U.S. federal charges including narco-terrorism and drug trafficking.
Follow live updates: pic.twitter.com/jVGlw9byZo
— ABC News (@ABC) January 5, 2026
According to prosecutors, its inclusion expands the scope of the case and corroborates the hypothesis that drug trafficking was part of a network organized at the highest levels of Venezuelan power.
Images of dictator Nicolás Maduro being transferred to court this Monday (5), in New York. Credit: Reproduction/X/@ABC The case is pending in the Southern District of New York and is being handled by 92-year-old federal judge Alvin K. Hellerstein. After the initial hearing, the court is expected to determine the next steps in the process, including the conditions of pretrial detention and the court schedule.
