Venezuelan president to face US court for first time since capture
Deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is set to make his first appearance in an American courtroom on the narco-terrorism charges the Trump administration used to justify capturing him and bringing him to New York.
Maduro and his wife are expected to appear at midday on Monday (4am on Tuesday AEDT) before a judge for a brief but required legal proceeding that will likely kick off a prolonged fight over whether they can be put on trial in the US.

A couple will be transferred from a Brooklyn jail to face legal proceedings in a Manhattan courthouse, situated near the venue where former U.S. President Donald Trump was convicted in 2024 for falsifying business records.

Nicolas Maduro arrives in the US after being captured during a raid in Caracas.(AP)

The indictment against them alleges that Maduro and his wife orchestrated kidnappings, assaults, and murders to enforce their drug trafficking network. This reportedly included the assassination of a local drug lord in Caracas, as detailed in the charges.

Furthermore, Maduro’s wife is accused of accepting substantial bribes in 2007. These payments were purportedly made to facilitate a meeting between a prominent drug trafficker and the head of Venezuela’s National Anti-Drug Office. The arrangement allegedly led to ongoing monthly bribes, with a portion of the funds directed to Maduro’s wife, according to the indictment.