Jail Outfits, Bandages: Courtroom Sketch Captures First Court Appearance Of Maduro, Wife In US

Last Updated:January 06, 2026, 12:34 IST

Maduro and Flores appeared in a US court, pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges, claimed kidnapping, and will remain in custody until their next hearing on March 17.

The sketch was released on Monday. (Image: Reuters)

A courtroom sketch of toppled Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during their first appearance in a US court was released on Monday.

The sketch shows Maduro and Flores standing before a Manhattan judge, dressed in blue and orange jail-issued shirts paired with khaki pants. Flores was seen with two bandages on her face. Both were wearing headphones to listen to a Spanish translation of the proceedings, which were conducted in English.

Their attorney was seated between them as the hearing began. According to BBC, Maduro took notes on a yellow legal pad during the proceedings and later asked the judge whether he would be allowed to keep the notepad after the hearing concluded.

During the 40-minute arraignment, Maduro told 92-year-old Judge Alvin Hellerstein, “I’m innocent. I’m a decent man," while Flores stated that she was “completely innocent." The couple pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges, claiming they had been “kidnapped" by US forces from their residence in Caracas. Maduro described himself as a “prisoner of war" and repeatedly asserted his innocence.

“I’m innocent. I am not guilty of anything," Maduro said several times during the hearing, according to CNBC.

Maduro is facing multiple criminal charges, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess such weapons against the United States. Prosecutors have also accused Flores of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes as part of an alleged drug trafficking-linked corruption scheme.

According to court filings, Flores allegedly helped arrange a 2007 meeting between a “large-scale drug trafficker" and the head of Venezuela’s Anti-Drug Office in exchange for substantial payments.

On Saturday, the United States carried out a major military operation in Venezuela targeting key locations. Neither Maduro nor Flores sought bail during the hearing, and both will remain in federal custody. The next court hearing has been scheduled for March 17.

News world Jail Outfits, Bandages: Courtroom Sketch Captures First Court Appearance Of Maduro, Wife In US

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