Maduro's Drug Trafficking Trial Begins in NY

It's March 26th.

This is Global News Today, your AI-powered source for world news.

Former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife Celia, Flores, appeared in a New

York courthouse for charges tied to a long-running cocaine, trafficking, scheme.

Prosecutors say the pair, along with their son and others, conspired with terrorist linked

cartels starting back in 1999.

Awful, weapons and providing cover for drugs headed to the U.S., Maduro, who led Venezuela

from 2013 until U.S. forces seized him on January 3rd, 2026, has pleaded not guilty.

The allegations pay Maduro as a key player in the drug trade, even before his presidency,

issuing passports to traffickers and letting the operation, boom, for personal gain once

in power.

His family and allies allegedly gave logistical support, turning Venezuelan to a major hub.

Outside the courthouse, Venezuelan immigrants like 36-year-old Laura Belivar protested, sharing

stories of life under Maduro's rule, without.

Basic needs.

She backs ex-out opposition leader Maria Carina Machado, who just won the Nobel Peace Prize

for pushing democracy and fair elections as the real hope for change over Maduro's

stand-ins.

Legal fights are heating up, too, with defense lawyers claiming the Trump administration

blocks Venezuela from paying Maduro's bills, calling for the case to be tossed or delayed.

Prosecutors push back, seeking orders to shield evidence from unerested co-defendants

like the Sun, and administer to protect witnesses.

As proceedings continue in Lower Manhattan, eyes stay on how these twists unfold amid Venezuela's

push for fair governance.