Nicolás Maduro has pleaded not guilty in Manhattan federal court to U.S. charges alleging narco-terrorism, drug trafficking and weapons offenses, setting up a pretrial fight expected to focus on head-of-state immunity and the legality of his seizure by U.S. forces, according to recent court coverage. His next court date is scheduled for March 17. (Reuters, Jan. 5, 2026; AP, Jan. 12, 2026).
U.S. prosecutors accuse Maduro of overseeing a cocaine-trafficking network involving international criminal groups, Reuters reported, describing the allegations as part of a four-count federal case. (Reuters, Jan. 5, 2026).
Charges. Reuters reported that Maduro faces four counts: narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machineguns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machineguns and destructive devices. (Reuters, Jan. 5, 2026).
Plea. At his initial appearance and arraignment before U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, Maduro entered a not guilty plea, Reuters reported. (Reuters, Jan. 5, 2026).
Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, also pleaded not guilty, and Reuters reported she faces the same charges except narco-terrorism. (Reuters, Jan. 5, 2026).
A public court notice for the Jan. 5 proceeding identified the case as 11-CR-205, USA v. Maduro Moros, and listed Judge Hellerstein as the presiding judge in Manhattan. (Notice, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Jan. 5, 2026).
Key legal arguments. Maduro’s defense lawyer, Barry Pollack, told the court he anticipated extensive litigation challenging what he described as a “military abduction,” Reuters reported, signaling an effort to contest the legality of how Maduro was brought to the United States. (Reuters, Jan. 5, 2026).
Pollack is also expected to press a sovereign/head-of-state immunity argument, Reuters reported, framing the case as a test of rarely litigated questions about whether a foreign leader can be prosecuted in a U.S. criminal court. (Reuters, Jan. 6, 2026; Reuters, Jan. 5, 2026).
Reuters reported that the U.S. position on immunity rests in part on Washington’s stance that it has not recognized Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate leader since 2019, which Reuters said could weigh against granting him head-of-state immunity. (Reuters, Jan. 6, 2026; Reuters, Jan. 5, 2026).
Reuters also reported that U.S. courts generally have been reluctant to dismiss prosecutions based solely on claims that a defendant was brought into U.S. custody unlawfully, underscoring a key hurdle for any motion to throw out the case based on the manner of capture. (Reuters, Jan. 5, 2026).
In addition, Reuters reported that Venezuela’s attorney general has argued the United States lacks jurisdiction and that Maduro remains immune as the country’s leader. (Reuters, Jan. 6, 2026).
Representation dispute. In a separate procedural dispute, AP reported that Judge Hellerstein blocked attorney Bruce Fein from joining Maduro’s defense team, ruling that only Maduro himself could retain Fein and rejecting Fein’s request that the judge summon Maduro to confirm his wishes. (AP, Jan. 12, 2026).
Next court date. Reuters and AP both reported that the next scheduled court date is March 17. (Reuters, Jan. 5, 2026; AP, Jan. 12, 2026).
AP reported that Maduro and Flores remain held without bail at a federal jail in Brooklyn while the case proceeds. (AP, Jan. 12, 2026).
Other future court dates, motion deadlines, and any trial schedule are not publicly confirmed in available reporting.