Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, captured by US troops, were taken to a detention center in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday evening, where they are awaiting trial.
According to “The New York Times”, on Monday around 6 p.m. Polish time (noon local time), both are scheduled to be taken to federal court in Manhattan for their first court hearing. Then they will hear the charges.
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The first hearing of the American court in the Maduro case
This will be the first preliminary hearing in what will likely be many years of proceedings. Such meetings usually do not last long. The prosecutor usually briefly presents evidence, e.g. recordings, documents and other materials secured during searches, and brings charges.
The judge will probably listen to the defendants' statements. According to The New York Times, it is expected that Maduro and his wife will plead not guilty, and in this situation, the judge may order their temporary arrest.
But Maduro's lawyers may challenge the prosecution of the leader of a sovereign state, kidnapped from his country in a carefully planned military operation, and question the legality of the arrest. They may also refer to the Venezuelan leader's use of immunity. For now, however, it is not known who will represent Maduro and his wife.
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What charges should Maduro and his wife face?
The already published indictment shows that the US prosecutor's office wants to accuse Maduro of:
- Participation in a narco-terrorist conspiracy, that is, leading the Venezuelan regime, which, together with terrorist organizations, smuggled drugs to the USA.
These organizations considered terrorist by the US include the Colombian FARC and ELN militias, the Mexican Sinaloa and Zetas cartels, and the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
- Personally providing diplomatic protection to drug traffickers and money launderers.
According to the Financial Times, this is a continuation of previous allegations from 2020 regarding managing a structure that sent large amounts of cocaine abroad.
- Possession of machine guns and explosive devices, ordering kidnappings and murders, and enabling corruption that enriched his family and members of his regime.
The charges are the result of a long-term and extensive investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). If found guilty, Maduro faces a sentence of 30 years to life in prison.
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This is not the first such trial
Maduro will be the third leader of a foreign state to be tried in a US court for drug smuggling.
The first was Panamanian President Manuel Noriegawho was arrested in 1990, also as a result of the American invasion of this country.
The second is former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandezwho was sent to New York in 2022 and was later sentenced to 45 years in prison for supporting cocaine smuggling into the USA. In November, Hernandez was pardoned by US President Donald Trump, who claimed he was prosecuted for ideological reasons by the administration of his predecessor Joe Biden.
The International Criminal Court conducts its proceedings
It is also worth remembering that the International Criminal Court is also conducting proceedings regarding Maduro's actions. Venezuela is a party to these proceedings, and as a result, Maduro may face further charges. In this case, it is about crimes against humanity related to politically motivated killings, torture and forcing people to emigrate.
