[ June 13, 2026 ]
Fresh off their first Manhattan court appearance before Clinton appointed judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores pleaded not guilty as Pam Bondi warned that “nothing is off the table”—while victims of the regime begged the court to lock the tyrant away for life.
Attorney General Bondisays ‘nothing is off the table’ after dictator, wife have first court appearance
Maduro and Flores both pleaded not guilty in a federal court.
ADVERTISEMENT
🚨 JUST IN: PATRIOTS are outside the federal courthouse in NYC chanting “USA! USA!” and holding TRUMP flags as Maduro pleads not guilty
The crowds outside are MASSIVE! pic.twitter.com/IT1znzCulm
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 5, 2026
Buenos días, mi gente trabajadora
Feliz lunes.
Cuándo un zurdo de mierda diga que Venezuela era una democracia y que @realDonaldTrump quiere el petróleo, solo hay que mostrarle este video de la democracia en la Venezuela de Maduro y como la aplican a los opositores en la cárcel… pic.twitter.com/GaZ3QulUcD— 🅴🅻 🅲🆄🅲🅷🅾™️ (@elcuchoantic) January 5, 2026
Nicolas Maduro, the dethroned Venezuelan dictator indicted on major drug trafficking and weapons charges in the United States, arrived in a federal court in New York at noon Monday for his arraignment, days after American forces captured him in his own presidential palace. As U.S. Marshals escorted him into the courtroom, he greeted members of the press and the public in the gallery by saying “Happy New Year” in Spanish. Minutes into the proceeding, the judge cut him off when he claimed he had been “kidnapped.” Judge Alvin Hellerstein had asked him to confirm his full name. “I am Nicolas Maduro Moros,” the defendant replied, through a translator. “My name is President Nicolas Maduro Moros, President of Venezuela. I am here, kidnapped, and I am here since January 3rd, Saturday. I was captured at my home in Caracas, Venezuela.” The judge cut him off and said the hearing was not the proper time for Maduro to protest his arrest. Moments later, the judge asked him to enter a plea. “I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man. I am still president of my country,” Maduro told the court (Fox News).
ADVERTISEMENT
Maduro's own nephews were arrested in drug trafficking — and found guilty of using the money to help the Maduro family. Despite what leftists allege, this is not a Trump-only accusation. The Biden administration was the one who announced the charges against Maduro in March 2020. pic.twitter.com/TaUuhsFoXG
— DataRepublican (small r) (@DataRepublican) September 8, 2025
https://twitter.com/theinformant_x/status/2008237181111087328?s=20
NYC: Venezuelans CELEBRATE outside Manhattan Federal Court as Maduro pleads "Not Guilty" inside
Video by @yyeeaahhhboiii2 @FreedomNTV [email protected] to license pic.twitter.com/zgpr5QITfF
— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) January 5, 2026
Toppled Venezuelan despot Nicolas Maduro declares himself ‘a decent man,’ claims he was ‘kidnapped’ by US forces as he pleads not guilty in NYC
By Ben Kochman, Kyle Schnitzer and Chris Nesi, BY Post, Jan. 5, 2026
The video player is currently playing an ad. You can skip the ad in 5 sec with a mouse or keyboard
Toppled ruthless Venezuelan despot and accused narco-terrorist Nicolás Maduro defiantly claimed Monday he was “kidnapped’’ while making his historic first appearance in chains in Manhattan court —declaring, “I am a decent man.’’The 63-year-old deposed dictator — his legs shackled and wearing blue and orange jail garb — entered the courtroom flanked by US marshals after his extraordinary made-for-Hollywood capture Saturday.
Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores escorted in handcuffs by federal agents.
11
Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores being transported to a Manhattan courthouse on Monday, January 5, 2026.
ZUMAPRESS.com
The ousted South American tyrant, acting as if he still commanded power on the world stage, pronounced “Happy New Year” in English to reporters packed into the jury box for space, then again to those in the gallery before greeting his lawyers and taking a seat.ADVERTISEMENTMaduro — notorious for torturing, imprisoning and starving his countrymen while in power — almost immediately interrupted his appearance with a proclamation of his innocence when 92-year-old federal Judge Alvin Hellerstein asked him to confirm his identity.
Continue watching
This Day in History
after the ad“I’m the president of the Republic of Venezuela. … I am here kidnapped. … I was captured at my home in Caracas, Venezuela,” the infamous suspect, wearing black headphones for his translation feed, whined in Spanish before the judge stopped him.
Explore More
Trump admin live updates: President to deliver remarks to House GOP days after Nicolas Maduro raid
Venezuelan opposition leader declares she would love to ‘personally’ give Trump her Nobel Peace Prize: ‘It was impossible to achieve what he has’
“Your counsel will be able to make motions. … At this time, I just want to know one thing: Are you Nicolás Maduro Moros?” the judge asked.
The infamous dictator replied, “I am Nicolás Maduro Moros.’’
The judge, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, then informed Maduro of his rights, including that he didn’t have to speak and that he can have a court-appointed lawyer if he can’t afford a private one.
In court with Maduro was legal eagle Barry Pollack, who famously negotiated the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in 2024 and is helping to rep the beleaguered Venezuelan — hinting his defense will question the legality of the US action to capture Maduro in the first place.
Maduro, when asked by Hellerstein if he was aware of his rights, responded, “I did not know of these rights.
The judge then formally arraigned Maduro on the charges against him, including a range of narco-terrorism, drug and weapons offenses that could carry the death penalty.
Maduro and his wife are charged with working with drug cartels to ship thousands of tons of cocaine into the US for more than 20 years, between 1999 and 2025.
Maduro is charged with narcoterrorism for allegedly working with terror groups, and both are separately charged with “cocaine importation conspiracy.”
Additionally, Maduro and Flores are charged with possessing machine guns, and “conspiracy to possess machine guns.”
The case comes just a few years after US prosecutors brought another drug-trafficking case in the same courthouse against another South American head of state: former Honduras president Juan Orlando Hernandez. Hernandez was sentenced in June 2024 to serve 45 years in prison. But in December, President Trump pardoned him, claiming he was treated “unfairly” by US authorities.
Maduro, clad in jail-issued orange shoes, beige pants and a blue shirt over an orange shirt — with his hands left unshackled — was asked Monday how he pleaded, then started spouting again, “I am innocent.
“I am not guilty. I am a decent man. I am still president of my country,” he insisted.
He furiously scribbled notes on a yellow legal pad during the proceedings while continuing to denounce the indictment against him.
“I am not guilty of anything that is mentioned here,” he said.
Maduro asked at one point that his notes be “respected” and that he be “entitled to keep them,” an unusual request Hellerstein agreed to without hesitation.
The Truth Must be Told
Your contribution supports independent journalism
Please take a moment to consider this. Now, more than ever, people are reading Geller Report for news they won't get anywhere else. But advertising revenues have all but disappeared. Google Adsense is the online advertising monopoly and they have banned us. Social media giants like Facebook and Twitter have blocked and shadow-banned our accounts. But we won't put up a paywall. Because never has the free world needed independent journalism more.
Everyone who reads our reporting knows the Geller Report covers the news the media won't. We cannot do our ground-breaking report without your support. We must continue to report on the global jihad and the left's war on freedom. Our readers’ contributions make that possible.
Geller Report's independent, investigative journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we believe our work is critical in the fight for freedom and because it is your fight, too.
Please contribute here.
or
Make a monthly commitment to support The Geller Report – choose the option that suits you best.
ADVERTISEMENT
Quick note: We cannot do this without your support. Fact. Our work is made possible by you and only you. We receive no grants, government handouts, or major funding.Tech giants are shutting us down. You know this. Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Adsense, Pinterest permanently banned us. Facebook, Google search et al have shadow-banned, suspended and deleted us from your news feeds. They are disappearing us. But we are here.
Subscribe to Geller Report newsletter here— it’s free and it’s essential NOW when informed decision making and opinion is essential to America's survival. Share our posts on your social channels and with your email contacts. Fight the great fight.
Follow Pamela Geller on Gettr. I am there. click here.
Follow Pamela Geller on Trump's social media platform, Truth Social. It's open and free.
Remember, YOU make the work possible. If you can, please contribute to Geller Report.
Join The Conversation. Leave a Comment.
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spammy or unhelpful, click the ... symbol to the right of the comment to let us know. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
