Maduro pleads not guilty, retains Assange's lawyer

Various Sources

After being kidnapped by US forces, Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores pleaded not guilty to the trumped up charges of drug trafficking, narco-terrorism, and other related alleged offenses in a US federal court in New York today.

After judge Alvin Hellerstein read the charges against Maduro, including “narco-terrorism conspiracy” and asked for his plea, Maduro replied: “I am innocent. I am not guilty of anything that is mentioned here.”

Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, also stressed her innocence when asked for her plea: “Not guilty. Completely innocent,” she said.

Maduro also told the court "I am not guilty, I am a decent man, I am still the president of my country."

Maduro has retained Barry Pollack, the prominent criminal defense lawyer known for representing Julian Assange. He notably successfully negotiated aspects of Assange’s release in 2024.