Overview
- U.S. prosecutors filed an updated indictment on January 3 alleging a decades-long conspiracy to traffic cocaine, citing State Department estimates of roughly 200–250 tons annually in the 2000s.
- In his first Manhattan court appearance on January 5, Nicolás Maduro denied the charges, claimed he was seized from his Caracas home on January 3, and asserted he remains Venezuela’s elected president and a prisoner of war.
- Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, was charged alongside him and pleaded not guilty, as defense lawyers raised health concerns and reported injuries during their detention.
- The judge scheduled the next court date for March 17 as legal arguments over the circumstances of Maduro’s capture are expected to follow.
- Venezuela’s Supreme Court named Delcy Rodríguez interim president with military backing, and after initially condemning U.S. actions she called for dialogue, as demonstrations outside the courthouse reflected divided public reactions.