Maduro Pleads Not Guilty to US Charges in Narco-Terrorism Case

Watch on YouTube ↗  |  January 05, 2026 at 18:02  |  3:03  |  Bloomberg Markets

Summary

Nicolás Maduro pleaded not guilty to US narco-terrorism charges in a federal court in Lower Manhattan, and his wife Cilia Flores also pleaded not guilty to three charges. The report covers the courtroom proceedings, the severity of the charges, and the expectation that both will remain detained without bail. No investment or market theses were discussed.

  • Maduro appeared in federal court in Lower Manhattan and pleaded not guilty to narco-terrorism charges.
  • Cilia Flores pleaded not guilty to three charges.
  • Charges include narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and weapons charges.
  • Prosecutors allege ties to the Sinaloa cartel and Zetas and say cocaine moved under protection of Venezuelan law enforcement.
  • Maduro faces life in prison if convicted; he waived a public reading of the indictment.
  • Both defendants appeared in jail garb and used headphones for translation.
  • The judge is unlikely to grant bail, and Maduro is expected to be held in a special housing unit.
  • The next hearing date was set, and Maduro's lawyer cited health and medical issues.
Up Next
6:55
Maduro Captured by US: Is this a new world order?
Bloomberg Markets · Jan 05
3:30
China’s AI-powered IPO boom highlights the public-vs.-private debate in U.S. AI
CNBC · Jan 05
2:26
Ousted Venezuelan leader Maduro pleads not guilty to drug trafficking charges
CNBC · Jan 05
2:46
Wedbush’s Joel Kulina on his expectations for Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s speech at CES 2026
CNBC · Jan 05
2:42
3Fourteen Research’s Pies: Venezuela’s unrest unlikely to impact the oil market in the near term
CNBC · Jan 05