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2d ago

Maduro Pleads Not Guilty in New York as Caracas Installs Acting Leader and U.S. Sets Transition Goals

Washington signals a U.S.-guided transition centered on reviving Venezuela’s oil sector.

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Law enforcement officials move captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, second from left, out of the helicopter in New York on January 5.
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 5: Nicolas Maduro is seen in handcuffs after landing at a Manhattan helipad, escorted by heavily armed Federal agents as they make their way into an armored car en route to a Federal courthouse in Manhattan on January 5, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by XNY/Star Max/GC Images)
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Overview

  • Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores entered not‑guilty pleas to SDNY drug and weapons charges in their initial Manhattan appearance and are being held in Brooklyn, with the next hearing set for March 17.
  • Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, was sworn in as acting president in Caracas as President Trump said the U.S. would run a transition and tap American oil companies to rebuild the energy sector.
  • Reports from the capital described unrest and gunfire near the presidential palace, which a U.S. official told CNN did not involve American forces.
  • Venezuelan diaspora communities welcomed the detention but said they are unlikely to return soon given an unchanged security apparatus and a battered economy.
  • A White House photo of Maduro in a grey Nike Tech fleece drove a spike in searches and sales, with popular sizes of the $140 Windrunner jacket temporarily selling out online.