Maduro appears in U.S. court as lawyers prepare to challenge drug trafficking case

Deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro made his first appearance in a United States courtroom Monday, facing drug trafficking and narco-terrorism charges that U.S. authorities say justified his arrest and transfer to New York.

Maduro appeared briefly before a federal judge in Manhattan for an initial procedural hearing, a routine step that marks the beginning of what is expected to be a lengthy legal battle. His defence team is widely expected to argue that he cannot be prosecuted in the U.S. because of immunity claims tied to his status as a former head of state.

Earlier in the day, Maduro was moved under heavy security from a Brooklyn detention facility to the Manhattan courthouse. Authorities used a combination of motorcade, helicopter transport across New York Harbor, and armored vehicles, reflecting the high-profile nature of the case and ongoing security concerns.

Outside the courthouse, police kept a small group of protesters separate from pro-intervention demonstrators, as tensions briefly flared among people holding Venezuelan flags and signs both opposing and supporting U.S. actions.

If the case proceeds, Maduro would face the U.S. criminal justice system like any other defendant, including the right to a jury trial. Legal experts say the central issue in the early stages will be whether U.S. courts have jurisdiction to try him, a question that could have broader implications for international law and U.S. foreign policy toward Venezuela.