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At his arraignment on Monday, the former Dictator of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro pleaded not guilty to federal drug trafficking charges.
“I’m innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man, the president of my country,” the former Dictator told the court in Spanish.
Maduro was reported to have a defiant tone during his first court appearance. He is charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.
“I was captured,” Maduro told the court, referencing the successful snatch-and-grab mission the Trump administration pulled off over the weekend.
According to the four-count indictment, for over 25 years Maduro gave drug traffickers diplomatic cover, ran a cocaine trafficking operation and held ties to terrorism and drug trafficking organizations.
Maduro is not the only defendant listed in the indictment. His wife Cilia Flores and several Venezuelan officials are listed as defendants as well.
The indictment also alleges Maduro is an illegitimate ruler, possibly the legal justification that will be used to argue in favor of his capture.
“NICOLAS MADURO MOROS, the defendant, now sits atop a corrupt, illegitimate government that, for decades, has leveraged government power to protect and promote illegal activity, including drug trafficking,” the indictment reads.
The Hill painted the picture of Monday’s arraignment:
Wearing a blue jail uniform, Maduro and his wife were led into court around noon for a brief hearing kicking off what is expected to become a lengthy legal fight over whether he can face trial in the U.S. The couple wore headsets to hear the proceeding translated from English to Spanish.
