People celebrate the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro outside the Federal District Court in Lower Manhattan where Maduro is expected to appear, on Jan. 5, 2026. Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times
Deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro made his first court appearance on Jan. 5, pleading not guilty to charges that could send him to prison for the rest of his life.
U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, 92, has been tapped to oversee the proceedings. He is no stranger to such cases; in 2022 he refused to dismiss charges against former Venezuelan army Gen. Cliver Alcalá, who was accused of helping Maduro traffic cocaine to the United States.
