Ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are scheduled to make their initial appearances on Monday in a federal court in Manhattan following their capture by U.S. forces in a military operation in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas.
The couple, being held in federal custody at MDC-Brooklyn, is expected to appear in front of Judge Alvin Hellerstein at 12 p.m. ET. Maduro was seen arriving at Manhattan federal court early in the morning.
Ousted President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela and his wife, Cilia Flores arrive at the Wall Street Heliport in New York City, January 5, 2026.
Kyle Mazza-CNP/Shutterstock
Captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro arrives at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport, as he heads towards the Daniel Patrick Manhattan United States Courthouse for an initial appearance to face U.S. federal charges including narco-terrorism, conspiracy, drug trafficking, money laundering and others in New York City, January 5, 2026.
Eduardo Munoz/Reuters
Maduro and Flores are among six defendants named in a four-count superseding indictment that accused them of conspiring with violent, dangerous drug traffickers for the last 25 years. Maduro has long denied all the allegations.
Texas lawyer Mark Donnelly is representing Flores, according to a notice filed Monday with the court. Donnelly is admitted to practice in Texas but applied for pro hac vice admission to represent her in New York.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is escorted, as he heads to an initial court appearance to face U.S. federal charges including narco-terrorism, conspiracy, drug trafficking, money laundering and others in New York City, January 5, 2026.
Adam Gray/Reuters
Maduro has retained attorney Barry Pollack, according to a notice on the court docket posted Monday. Pollack previously represented Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.
Neither defense attorney immediately responded to ABC News’ request for comment.
Captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro arrives at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport, as he heads towards the Daniel Patrick Manhattan United States Courthouse for an initial appearance to face U.S. federal charges including narco-terrorism, conspiracy, drug trafficking, money laundering and others in New York City, January 5, 2026.
Eduardo Munoz/Reuters
Dueling groups of protesters have gathered across the street from the courthouse; one is holding signs urging President Donald Trump to “Free President Maduro,” and the other is supportive of his capture.
More people protesting against what they call “illegal kidnapping” are expected to arrive shortly before the court appearance.
People protest against U.S. strikes against Venezuela and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, outside the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in New York City, January 5, 2026.
Jeenah Moon/Reuters
People protest against U.S. strikes against Venezuela and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, outside the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in New York City, January 5, 2026.
Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images
Maduro’s son, two high-ranking Venezuelan officials and an alleged leader of the Tren de Aragua criminal gang are the other defendants.
Trump said on Saturday that the U.S. “successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela” in which Maduro and Flores were “captured and flown out of the Country.”
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro is escorted by U.S. Drug Enforcement Agents after arriving in New York City, January 3, 2026.
Obtained by ABC News
Trump said the operation was carried out in conjunction with U.S. law enforcement. Members of Congress said the military, which sources said included the elite Delta Force, was in place to support that law enforcement operation.
In a move that alarmed some observers, Trump, who campaigned on “America First” and against foreign entanglements, said during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago the U.S. would “run” Venezuela for an unspecified “period of time.”
He said a team comprised of some of his Cabinet officials along with a local team in Venezuela would be “running the country” because there is “nobody to take over.”
“We’ll run it properly. We’ll run it professionally. We’ll have the greatest oil companies in the world go in and invest billions and billions of dollars and take out money, use that money in Venezuela, and the biggest beneficiary are going to be the people of Venezuela,” Trump said.
This grab taken on Jan. 3, 2026, from UGC footage released by Jose Abreu in his X account @Jabreu89, shows smoke billowing over Caracas after a series of explosions part of a US military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
@Jabreu89/X via AFP via Getty Images
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has been sworn in as interim leader to lead the country after what the Venezuelan Supreme Court described as Maduro’s “kidnapping.”
Rodriguez demanded Maduro’s return and vowed to defend Venezuela against American aggression.
View of a damaged building in Catia La Mar, La Guaira State, Venezuela, January 4, 2026, a day after Venezuela’s leader Nicolas Maduro was captured in a US strike.
Federico Parra/AFP via Getty Images
On Sunday, Rodriguez posted a statement to social media in which she appeared to soften her tone, inviting “the U.S. government to collaborate with us on an agenda of cooperation oriented towards shared development within the framework of international law to strengthen lasting community coexistence.”
Trump told reporters on Sunday that the U.S. is “in charge” of Venezuela.
The president said he had not yet spoken to Rodriguez. Asked if he wanted to, Trump said, “At the right time, I will.”
ABC News’ Meghan Mistry and Hannah Demissie contributed to this report.
