Archive · 5 Jan 2026
Maduro, Wife Plead Not Guilty in US Trial
Nicolas Maduro, the president of Venezuela, and his wife Cilia Flores went to court in the United States.
They said they are not guilty of doing bad things like selling drugs, washing dirty money, and being corrupt.
The court said they did these bad things, but Maduro said he is a good man and was forced to go to the US.
This is not the first time they have been accused of these things.
The first time was in 2020 when another president, Donald Trump, was in charge.
Now, there are more bad things they are being accused of, and the court papers were made public on Saturday.
Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking, money laundering, and corruption charges.
The charges mirror those from a 2020 indictment filed in Manhattan federal court during Donald Trump's presidency.
A new indictment, unsealed on Saturday, adds charges against Flores.
Maduro claims he is a 'decent man' and was 'kidnapped' to the US.
The trial began in the Southern District of New York.
- Who
- Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores
- What
- Pled not guilty to drug trafficking, money laundering, and corruption charges
- When
- Trial began (exact date not specified), indictment unsealed Saturday
- Where
- Southern District of New York
- Why
- Charges brought by US authorities for alleged criminal activities
- Defendants
- Nicolas Maduro, Cilia Flores
- Charges
- Drug trafficking, money laundering, corruption
- Court
- Southern District of New York
- Indictment Date
- December 2023 (unsealed Saturday)
- Previous Indictment
- 2020 (Manhattan federal court)