Deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro arrived in Manhattan on Monday ahead of his first court appearance in the United States, days after his dramatic arrest in Caracas. Maduro, 63, was flown by helicopter to a Manhattan helipad near the federal courthouse before being transferred to an armored vehicle.Wearing a brown prison jumpsuit and bright orange shoes, he appeared to walk with a slight limp as he was escorted by Drug Enforcement Administration agents. A woman believed to be his wife, Cilia Flores, also in custody, was seen next to him.A motorcade had previously left the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where Maduro has been held on drug and weapons charges since his arrival in the United States. He is expected to be formally charged with drug trafficking in court today.
Maduro’s arrival in New York follows his dramatic arrest in Caracas during a shocking US military operation over the weekend. He faces drug trafficking and weapons charges. US officials accuse him of leading a criminal network during his time in office.
Who is the judge overseeing the case?
The case was assigned to Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Hellerstein was nominated by President Bill Clinton in 1998 and has been senior judge since 2011. He is one of the court’s most experienced lawyers.He led high-profile terrorism and national security cases, including litigation related to the September 11 attacks. Most recently, he led a trial against former Venezuelan intelligence chief Hugo Carvajal Barrios, who pleaded guilty before him to drug-terrorism-related charges.Hellerstein has also drawn attention to rulings involving Donald Trump, including the rejection of Trump’s attempt to bring his hush money lawsuit to federal court. Earlier this year, he criticized the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans and warned against sending people to foreign prisons without any hope of due process.
What are the allegations against Maduro?
Maduro faces four main charges: conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices. The charges mirror those first filed against him in Manhattan in 2020, with a recently unsealed indictment adding more details and additional co-defendants, including Flores.Prosecutors allege that Maduro and senior Venezuelan officials abused their positions for more than 25 years and corrupted state institutions to facilitate the movement of large quantities of cocaine into the United States. The indictment alleges they provided protection and logistical support to major criminal groups, including the Sinaloa Cartel and the Tren de Aragua gang, in exchange for bribes and a share of profits.Specific allegations include selling Venezuelan diplomatic passports to drug traffickers, using diplomatic cover to transfer drug proceeds, and ordering kidnappings and killings of disgraced individuals. Flores is accused of accepting bribes in 2007 to arrange meetings between drug traffickers and Venezuela’s anti-narcotics chief, as well as masterminding violence linked to the alleged drug network.
