Overview
- Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores pleaded not guilty in Manhattan to narco‑terrorism, cocaine importation and weapons charges, with the next court date expected in mid-March as they remain in federal custody.
- A superseding Southern District of New York indictment details conspiracies involving drug trafficking and possession of machine guns and destructive devices.
- The White House says interim Venezuelan authorities will transfer 30–50 million barrels of oil to the U.S. for sale, with President Trump asserting he will control the proceeds.
- Administration officials are set to brief all members of Congress today, as lawmakers press for the operation’s legal basis and question shifting rationales.
- Venezuela’s Supreme Court declared Maduro “temporarily” absent and elevated Delcy Rodríguez, while security chiefs stay on and international critics decry violations of sovereignty and international law.