Deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro made his first appearance Monday in a U.S. federal courthouse in Manhattan, facing narco‑terrorism, drug trafficking, conspiracy, weapons and related charges unsealed by U.S. prosecutors. Maduro, 63, and his wife Cilia Flores were transported under heavy guard from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn to the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse, marking the start of what is expected to be a lengthy legal process.

The appearance, a routine initial hearing follows a dramatic U.S. military operation in Caracas last weekend in which Maduro and Flores were captured, flown to the United States and charged with allegedly leading a state‑sponsored cocaine trafficking network involving international criminal groups.

Security was tight around the Manhattan courthouse, with barricades and law enforcement visible as reporters and onlookers gathered in frigid conditions. Demonstrations also broke out outside the courthouse, with protesters condemning the U.S. strikes and Maduro’s detention.

Maduro’s lawyers are expected to challenge the legality of his arrest and argue for sovereign immunity, though U.S. authorities do not recognize him as Venezuela’s legitimate president following a disputed election.

The United States alleges Maduro used his official roles to facilitate trafficking through diplomatic channels and government infrastructure, claims that could carry life sentences if he and Flores are convicted.

International reaction has been mixed: the United Nations and some foreign governments have criticized the U.S. operation as a violation of international law, while others support the effort as part of a broader campaign against corruption and narco‑terrorism.