Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro is due to appear before a federal court in New York on Monday to face US charges of narco-terrorism, days after his arrest in a US military operation that has triggered international controversy.
Maduro, 63, and his wife, Cilia Flores, are being held at a detention facility in Brooklyn after US forces seized them in Caracas during a surprise weekend raid.
US prosecutors allege that Maduro oversaw a state-backed cocaine trafficking network that funneled drugs into the United States, accusations long denied by the Venezuelan leader and his allies.
The pair are scheduled to appear at noon (1700 GMT) before US District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein in Manhattan. It was not immediately clear whether they had secured legal representation or whether they would enter pleas.
Washington has not recognized Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate president since his disputed re-election in 2018, which was widely rejected by the opposition and much of the international community.
The operation has raised questions among legal experts about its legality under international law, with the issue expected to be discussed at the United Nations Security Council later on Monday.
Venezuela, which holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, has been mired in political and economic turmoil for more than a decade, with the latest developments adding further uncertainty over the country’s future.
