Former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro returned to a New York federal courtroom on Thursday for his second U.S. court appearance since being captured by American forces in early January.
The hearing focused on legal procedural disputes, including whether sanctions block Maduro from funding his own defense.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since their extraordinary capture in a U.S. military operation in Caracas.
Both pleaded not guilty to a series of federal charges, including narco‑terrorism and cocaine trafficking conspiracies, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices as outlined in a superseding indictment.
Sanctions and legal funding controversy
The court session highlighted a central dispute over legal defence funding. Maduro’s lawyers argue that U.S. sanctions prevent the Venezuelan government from paying legal fees, violating his constitutional right to counsel of choice.
Prosecutors countered that lifting sanctions to allow Venezuela to fund the defence would undermine national security justifications behind the restrictions, which are meant to limit Maduro’s access to state assets.
U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein expressed scepticism about the government’s rationale but did not dismiss the case, leaving the funding dispute unresolved.
Maduro’s capture
Maduro’s presence in U.S. custody stems from a dramatic nighttime raid in Caracas on January 3, when U.S. forces detained him and Flores and flew them to New York to face long‑standing narcotics and weapons charges.
The operation marked an unprecedented intervention and has drawn sharp global attention, with supporters and critics divided over its legality and geopolitical implications.
Journalists at the hearing reported scenes of both supporters and opponents gathering outside the Manhattan courthouse. Demonstrations included visual displays and occasional confrontations, reflecting deep divisions among Venezuelans and the diaspora about Maduro’s prosecution.
