Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, can reasonably expect two things to happen as they get accustomed to their new day-to-day life at the notorious Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York: They will be uncomfortable and kept out of harm’s way.

Now begins what could be a lengthy legal process of pretrial motions, potential plea negotiations and possibly a jury trial of the authoritarian leader who ruled Venezuela for more than a decade.

Captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro pleaded not guilty in federal court Jan. 5 to charges that he led a narco-terrorism conspiracy.

President Donald Trump shared a video Jan. 5 of Venezuelans gathering with the caption, “Trump just showed every liberal Democrat what a real No Kings celebration is supposed to look like.” But the footage was first shared in 2024 and showed people in El Vigía, Venezuela, cheering Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado’s movement.

One trader made more than $400,000 betting on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's downfall. But was the anonymous bettor a Trump insider?

Security forces have boarded buses, searched phones and interrogated people, looking for evidence that they welcomed the capture of Nicolás Maduro.

An AI-generated video circulating on social media depicts a fictional military operation aimed at capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. , World News, Times Now

Gov. Ron DeSantis raised the possibility of an unprecedented state case against the ousted Venezuelan leader, citing narcotics, gang activity and immigration issues.