Charges against Nicolás Maduro wey e plead not guilty to for US court

Ogbonge pictures wey show di seized president of Venezuala, Nicolás Maduro as dem dey transfer am go New York Court don come out.

Maduro dey seen wit handcuffs as armed men follow am and also as e dey wit im wife Cilia Flores.

Di couple stand bifor 92-year-old Judge Alvin Hellerstein inside New York court on Monday afternoon.

Maduro tok say im still be di president of Venezuela as im plead not guilty to four charges around drug trafficking and terrorism.

Na on Saturday dem gbab Maduro and Flores for dia Caracas compound come fly dem go US inside one dramatic special forces operation.

Allies to Maduro wey include China and Iran don hala make US quick release dem as Beijing say wetin Washington do na "clear violation of international law".

Wetin be di charges against Maduro and wetin be di evidence?

Barely 48 hours afta US forces carry Nicolás Maduro and im wife from im house for Caracas, di Venezuelan leader stand for New York court and plead not guilty to di conspiracy charges against am by di US goment.

As di world dey process di strange military capture of anoda world leader by di US, di criminal case against Maduro go work through di justice system like any oda case for New York, based on di evidence and US law.

Prosecutors for da charging document allege say Maduro, im wife and son and dia accomplices engage in a cocaine-trafficking conspiracy and partnere with cartels designated as terrorist groups.

Dem tok say di accused "abuse dia positions of public trust and corrupt legitimate institutions to import plenty cocaine enta di United States'.

Maduro don tok say di charges na tool for 'imperial' plans to get access to Venezuela rich oil reserve

Charges against Maduro

Inside di 25-page indictment, US prosecutors lay out di case wey allegedly start for 1999, wen Maduro first enta into public office to serve. Di document tok say Maduro, Flores and dia pikin Nicolás Ernesto Maduro Guerra, and three oda pipo dey involve in a "relentless campaign of cocaine trafficking".

Di current and former interior ministers for Venezuela wey dey oversee police forces - Diosdado Cabello Rondón and Ramon Rodriguez Chacin - don also face charges, so also Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores wey dem dey call gang leader of Tren de Aragua.

All di six pipo dey face four counts, including engaging in narco-conspiracy wit terrorist groups, wey dey conspire to traffic cocaine into US, and possessing illegal weapons - primarily machine guns - to carry out di alleged conspiracy.

Di indictment dey accuse dem of collaborating with Farc, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, di Sinaloa and Zetas cartels, and Tren de Aragua. Di US govment don mark dem all as terrorist groups since February 2025.

Bifor im become president, US govment tok say, Maduro dey give passports to drug traffickers and "facilitate diplomatic cover for planes wey drug money launderers dey use to carry drug money from Mexico go Venezuela".

Afta e take office for 2013, e allegedly allow di drug trade to "flourish for im own benefit, for di benefit of members of im ruling regime, and for di benefit of im family".

For di indictment, prosecutors also ask make dem forfeit di defendants' property and money.

US District Court Judge Alvin Hellerstein don set di next hearing for di case for March 17.

Reactions from oda world leaders on Maduro arrest

Meanwhile, govment pipo worldwide don dey tok dia mind on top di seizure of Maduro.

For di UK Labur MP Dame Emily Thornberry wey be di oga of di Foreign Affairs Committee hala di mata say "we bin condemn Putin say e do am. We gatz clear am say Donald Trump no fit do am too".

Dis dey come as di UK govment neva gree chook mouth say di move dey illegal as dem insist say di Americans go tok wetin be di legal basis for di actions.

Howeva, Iran wey be close ally wit Venezuela say na gbab dem gbab di two of dem.

Dia foreign ministry tok-tok pesin, Esmail Baqaei tell AFP say, "no be anytin to dey proud of. As di Venezuelan pipo don tok, dia president must to dey released."

Di Spanish govment don also speak against di seizure of Maduro as di Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares tell Cadena Ser radio say di move dey against international law and go set "very dangerous precedent for future".

Meawhile, Switzerland don freeze all of di assets of Maduro and "oda pipo wey dey linked wit am wit immediate effect".

Dem tok say dem no go fit to move di assets comot di kontri and if legal proceedings show say dem dey acquired illegally, Switzerland go find way to return dem give di Venezuelan pipo.

Switzerland don get sanctions against Venezuela since 2018 wey include asset freeze and travel bans from 54 pipo.

E no clear wetin Maduro get for Swittzerland but for one Swiss newspaper report from 2021 wey bin dey based on leaked documents, dem say Swiss prosecutors find bank accounts wey bin get like $10 billion wey fit don comot from embezzled public funds from Venezuela.