Chopper, armoured vehicle: 'Limping' Maduro taken to New York court - watch video; what are the charges against him

Deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on Monday arrived in Manhattan ahead of his first court appearance in the United States, days after his dramatic seizure in Caracas. Maduro, 63, was flown by helicopter to a Manhattan heliport near the federal courthouse before being transferred into an armoured vehicle.Wearing a tan prison jumpsuit and bright orange shoes, he appeared was seen limping slightly as he was escorted by Drug Enforcement Administration agents. A woman believed to be his wife, Cilia Flores, was seen alongside him, also in custody.

Earlier, a motorcade had departed the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where Maduro has been held on drugs and weapons charges since his arrival in the US. He is expected to formally face narcotrafficking charges in court later today.

Maduro’s arrival in New York follows his dramatic seizure in Caracas during a shock US military operation over the weekend. He faces charges linked to narcotrafficking and weapons offences, with US officials accusing him of leading a criminal network while in power.

The case has been assigned to Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. Nominated by President Bill Clinton in 1998 and a senior judge since 2011, Hellerstein is one of the court’s most experienced jurists.

He has presided over high-profile terrorism and national security cases, including litigation stemming from the September 11 attacks. More recently, he handled proceedings involving former Venezuelan intelligence chief Hugo Carvajal Barrios, who pleaded guilty before him to narco-terrorism-related charges.Hellerstein has also drawn attention for rulings involving Donald Trump, including rejecting Trump’s attempt to move his hush-money prosecution to federal court.

Earlier this year, he criticised the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans, warning against sending people to foreign prisons with little hope of due process.

Maduro faces four core counts: narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices. The charges mirror those first brought against him in Manhattan in 2020, with a newly unsealed indictment adding further detail and additional co-defendants, including Flores.Prosecutors allege that Maduro and senior Venezuelan officials abused their positions for more than 25 years, corrupting state institutions to facilitate the shipment of vast quantities of cocaine into the United States. The indictment claims they provided protection and logistical support to major criminal groups, including the Sinaloa Cartel and the Tren de Aragua gang, in exchange for bribes and a share of profits.Specific allegations include selling Venezuelan diplomatic passports to traffickers, using diplomatic cover to move drug proceeds, and ordering kidnappings and killings of those who fell out of favour. Flores is accused of accepting bribes in 2007 to arrange meetings between traffickers and Venezuela’s anti-drugs chief, as well as directing acts of violence linked to the alleged drug network.