Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty in a U.S. court on Monday.
Maduro faces serious charges, including narco-terrorism, helping import cocaine, and possessing machine guns and explosives.
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He said, through an interpreter, “I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man. I am still president of my country.”
His wife, Cilia Flores, also pleaded not guilty. Their next court date is March 17.
The U.S. government accuses Maduro of running a cocaine-trafficking network that worked with violent groups like Mexico’s Sinaloa and Zetas cartels, Colombia’s FARC rebels, and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang. Maduro has denied all charges, calling them a cover for foreign countries trying to take Venezuela’s oil.
On Monday morning, Maduro and his wife were brought from a Brooklyn detention center to court by armed guards. Maduro’s hands were zip-tied during the transfer.