The appearance, scheduled for 12 noon (local time) at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse, is an initial formality where the charges will be read. The Donald Trump Administration executed the capture in Caracas last Saturday, immediately transferring them to the United States.
The charges against the couple, their son 'Nicolasito,' and three others, include conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism and cocaine importation. The case has been initially assigned to Judge Alvin Hellerstein, a 92-year-old veteran appointed by Bill Clinton in 1998, known for handling cases like the 9/11 attacks and the prosecution of Harvey Weinstein.
He now sits atop a corrupt and illegitimate Government that for decades has used the power of the Government to protect and promote illegal activity, including drug trafficking.
Maduro and Flores are expected to plead not guilty, initiating a judicial process anticipated to be long and complex. The New York prosecution, which previously indicted Maduro in March 2020, seeks to link him not only to the Cartel of the Suns but also to the Tren de Aragua gang, designated as a terrorist organization by the US.
The defense is likely to argue that the arrest violates international law and appeal to sovereign immunity. However, precedents, such as the case of Manuel Antonio Noriega in Panama in 1989, suggest that once an international leader is in US custody, judicial processes typically move forward.
