Maduro makes first US court appearance after capture

Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s longtime leader, has arrived at a New York courthouse, shackled, surrounded by heavily armed US law enforcement, just days after a stunning US military operation seized him in Caracas.

The 63 year old was captured Saturday inside his heavily fortified residence, alongside his wife, in a move that has sent shockwaves through the international community and triggered a growing diplomatic crisis.

Outside the courthouse on Monday, protesters gathered to condemn the operation and the Trump administration’s actions in Venezuela, chanting, “No boots on the ground, no bombs in the air, US out of everywhere!”

Maduro’s first court appearance could mark the start of a lengthy legal battle over whether he can be tried on US soil.

A newly unsealed 25-page indictment accuses Maduro and senior Venezuelan officials of working with drug cartels to funnel thousands of tonnes of cocaine into the United States, charges that carry the possibility of life in prison.

However, the case is already facing scrutiny. While the indictment alleges direct coordination with the Tren de Aragua gang, a US intelligence assessment released in April found no evidence linking the gang to the Caracas government.