Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Fights Drug Trafficking Charges in Manhattan Court

Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife face drug trafficking charges in a Manhattan court. They argue U.S. sanctions prevent them from paying for their legal defense, violating their constitutional rights. A surprise U.S. raid captured the couple in Caracas. Maduro denies the charges as U.S. ulterior motives.

Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro will appear in a Manhattan court on Thursday to contest drug trafficking charges against him. He argues that U.S. sanctions inhibit his rights to a fair defense by preventing Venezuela from funding his legal team.

Maduro, 63, and his wife Cilia Flores, 69, both jailed in Brooklyn, have pleaded not guilty to narcoterrorism-related charges. Their legal team contends that their Sixth Amendment rights are being infringed upon due to the inability to secure their preferred legal representation, as public Venezuelan funds are frozen.

Captured in a surprise U.S. military raid in Caracas, Maduro dismisses the charges, accusing the U.S. of ulterior motives aimed at controlling Venezuela's vast oil reserves. The case raises geopolitical questions, especially given unrecognized status shifts in Venezuelan leadership since 2019.

(With inputs from agencies.)