Ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are scheduled to make initial appearances Monday in federal court in Manhattan following their capture by U.S. forces in a military operation in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas.
The couple is expected to appear before Judge Alvin Hellerstein at 12 p.m. ET. Both are currently in federal custody at MDC-Brooklyn.
Ousted President Nicolás 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 midtown Manhattan heliport as he heads toward the Daniel Patrick Manhattan United States Courthouse for an initial appearance to face U.S. federal charges including narcoterrorism, conspiracy, drug trafficking, money laundering and others in New York City, January 5, 2026.
Eduardo Muñoz/Reuters
Maduro and Flores are among six defendants named in a four-count superseding indictment that accuses them of conspiring with violent and dangerous drug traffickers over the past 25 years. Maduro has long denied all allegations.
Texas attorney Mark Donnelly represents Flores, according to a notice filed Monday in court. Donnelly is admitted to practice in Texas, but sought 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 narcoterrorism, conspiracy, drug trafficking, money laundering and others in New York City, January 5, 2026.
Adam Gray/Reuters
Maduro has hired lawyer Barry Pollack, according to a notice in the court docket released Monday. Pollack previously represented Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.
None of the defense attorneys immediately responded to ABC News’ request for comment.
Captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro arrives at the midtown Manhattan heliport as he heads toward the Daniel Patrick Manhattan United States Courthouse for an initial appearance to face U.S. federal charges including narcoterrorism, conspiracy, drug trafficking, money laundering and others in New York City, January 5, 2026.
Eduardo Muñoz/Reuters
Groups of grieving protesters have gathered outside the courthouse; one holds signs urging President Donald Trump to “free President Maduro” and the other supports his capture.
More people are expected to arrive shortly before the court appearance, protesting against what they call “illegal kidnapping.”
People protest against the US attacks on Venezuela and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in front of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan US Courthouse in New York City, January 5, 2026.
Jeenah Luna/Reuters
People protest against the US attacks on Venezuela and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in front of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan US Courthouse in New York City, January 5, 2026.
Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images
Maduro’s son, two senior Venezuelan officials and an alleged leader of the Tren de Aragua criminal gang are the other defendants.
Trump said Saturday that the United States “successfully carried out a large-scale attack against Venezuela” in which Maduro and Flores were “captured and expelled from the country.”
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is escorted by US anti-drug agents after arriving in New York City, January 3, 2026.
Obtained by ABC News
Trump said the operation was carried out in conjunction with US law enforcement. Members of Congress said the military, which sources said included the elite Delta Force, was on site to support that police operation.
In a move that alarmed some observers, Trump, who campaigned on the slogan “America First” and against foreign entanglements, said during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago that the United States would “govern” Venezuela for an unspecified “period of time.”
He said a team made up of some of his cabinet officials along with a local team in Venezuela would be “running the country” because there is “no one to take charge.”
“We will handle it properly. We will handle it professionally. We will have the largest oil companies in the world come in and invest billions and billions of dollars and take money out, use that money in Venezuela, and the biggest beneficiary will be the people of Venezuela,” Trump said.
This screenshot taken on January 3, 2026 from UGC images posted by José Abreu on his X account @Jabreu89, shows smoke billowing over Caracas after a series of explosions as part of a US military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
@Jabreu89/X via AFP via Getty Images
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has been sworn in as interim leader to lead the country after what Venezuela’s Supreme Court described as the “kidnapping” of Maduro.
Rodríguez demanded Maduro’s return and promised to defend Venezuela against US aggression.
View of a damaged building in Catia La Mar, La Guaira state, Venezuela, January 4, 2026, a day after Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro was captured in a US attack.
Federico Parra/AFP via Getty Images
On Sunday, Rodríguez published a statement on social media in which he appeared to soften his tone, inviting “the United States government to collaborate with us on a cooperation agenda aimed at shared development within the framework of international law to strengthen lasting community coexistence.”
Trump told reporters on Sunday that the United States is “in charge” of Venezuela.
The president said he had not yet spoken to Rodríguez. Asked if he wanted to do it, Trump said, “At the right time, I will.”
ABC News’ Meghan Mistry and Hannah Demissie contributed to this report.
