USA Maduro on trial in New York for "drug terrorism"
Following his capture by US special forces in Caracas, Venezuela's authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro is to stand trial in the USA for drug offenses. On Monday, he was taken to a federal court in New York. He was due to appear there for the first time at 12.00 noon (18.00 CET).
05.01.2026, 16:34
SDA
Video footage broadcast by US broadcaster CNN showed that a helicopter was used for his transport, as well as an armored vehicle. Maduro was accompanied by officers from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), among others.
Maduro captured in commando operation
The 63-year-old and his wife Cilia Flores were captured by the US military in the Venezuelan capital Caracas on Saturday night and taken out of the country. He arrived in a detention center in New York at the weekend.
Meanwhile, the government in Venezuela has set up a commission to campaign for the release of Maduro and his wife. Members of the working group include parliamentary president Jorge Rodríguez and foreign minister Yván Gil. However, observers believe it is unlikely that the US authorities will release Maduro.
USA accuses him of "drug terrorism"
The president, who has been in office since 2013, has been charged in the United States with "drug terrorism", among other things. Investigators allege that he used his office to facilitate the smuggling of thousands of tons of cocaine into the USA. Maduro allegedly benefited from this for himself.
According to the US government, Maduro and high-ranking military officers are involved in drug trafficking via the so-called "Cartel de los Soles" (Cartel of the Suns). The name is borrowed from the suns on the epaulettes of Venezuelan generals.
The military is said to allow drug traffickers to operate in exchange for bribes
According to security experts, however, the cartel is not a hierarchically organized group that deals in drugs itself, but rather a system of patronage in which the military allows established criminal syndicates to operate in Venezuela in return for bribes and offers them protection if necessary.
According to US media reports, Maduro's first appearance before the federal court in New York is likely to be brief. At the hearing, he and his wife, who has also been charged, are to be formally informed of the allegations. It is expected that they will plead not guilty. According to several reports, the judge in charge will most likely order pre-trial detention without bail.
Trial may not begin for more than a year
US media also assume that it could take more than a year before a jury trial takes place. In the following weeks, the proceedings are likely to initially focus on fundamental legal issues: Maduro's defense lawyers could challenge the legality of his arrest and transfer to the US, as well as point to his immunity as head of state.
In the opinion of the US government, however, Maduro has not been the legitimate president of the South American country for a year and a half. At that time, he lost the presidential election according to the opposition and international observers. The electoral office, which is loyal to the government, nevertheless declared him the winner and he was sworn in for a further term of office.
International criticism of US attack in Venezuela
The US attack on Venezuela and Maduro's arrest have been sharply criticized. Venezuela's allies such as Russia and China, as well as a number of Latin American countries and Spain, have condemned the operation as contrary to international law. The UN Security Council was also due to discuss the case in an emergency meeting on Monday.
The government in Caracas had requested the special session. In a letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Somalia's permanent representative to the United Nations, who will chair the UN Security Council in January, it was stated that the attack was a violation of the UN Charter and endangered peace in the region and the entire world. The UN Security Council should condemn the aggression and demand an end to the attacks.
