World News
Nicolás Maduro, Wife to Appear in US Federal Court on Narco-Terrorism Charges
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are scheduled to appear before a federal judge on Monday (local time) to face narco-terrorism charges, US authorities confirmed. The case will be heard in the Southern District of New York, according to CBS News.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are scheduled to appear before a federal judge on Monday (local time) to face narco-terrorism charges, US authorities confirmed. The case will be heard in the Southern District of New York, according to CBS News.
A spokesperson said the couple is expected to be produced before the federal court at 12 noon on Monday, marking their first court appearance since their dramatic capture and removal from Venezuela.
The development follows what US officials described as a “large-scale strike against Venezuela” on Saturday, during which Maduro and Flores were detained in Caracas and flown out of the country in a joint operation involving US intelligence agencies and law enforcement authorities.
According to reports, the couple was first taken from their residence to the USS Iwo Jima, a US Navy warship, before being flown to the United States to face criminal prosecution.
Maduro arrived at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), a federal prison in Brooklyn, at around 8.52 pm ET on Saturday. As of late Saturday night, he was not expected to be held in a separate wing of the facility. Details regarding Flores’ detention arrangements were not immediately available.
The court proceedings are expected to draw international attention amid heightened geopolitical tensions and ongoing debate over the legality of the US operation that led to Maduro’s arrest.
