January 6, 2026 | 04:14 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Former president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, risks facing the death penalty if found guilty of charges related to narcotics and other federal violations. Maduro was abducted from his residence in Caracas by the U.S. special forces in a surprise operation on early Saturday.
The 63-year-old man is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Monday, January 5, regarding four criminal indictments, as reported by The New York Post.
Basis for the Death Penalty
According to U.S. federal law, a defendant who violates the Controlled Substances Act "as part of a continuing criminal enterprise" could be subject to the death penalty, as stated by the Library of Congress.
Federal crimes punishable by the death penalty include murder, treason, espionage, and non-homicide drug offenses.
However, the death penalty for drug offenses is rarely imposed.
The Library of Congress notes, "Most capital offenses involve a homicide. More defendants are sentenced to death for murder than for all of the other federal capital offenses."
Maduro's Initial Trial
Maduro appeared in a U.S. court on Monday, a day after his arrest. U.S. President Donald Trump even entertained the possibility of further operations if no agreement was reached with the interim government of Venezuela.
Maduro and several Venezuelan leaders were initially charged in a drug case in 2020, with additional charges added this year by a federal grand jury.
In the New York trial, Maduro, who was abducted along with his wife, Cilia Flores, 69, by the U.S. forces, declared himself not guilty and claimed that he was kidnapped, according to Al Jazeera.
He testified before U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein at 12 pm local time, using a headset for Spanish translation.
Maduro stated, "I was kidnapped. I am innocent and a decent man, the president of my country."
He then asserted that he is a "prisoner of war."
Maduro, Flores, their son, and three others also risk life imprisonment if proven to have collaborated with a drug cartel to send thousands of tons of cocaine to the U.S.
Barry Pollack, Maduro's lawyer, who has also represented Julian Assange, stated that he will challenge the legality of his client's arrest. He argued that his client has immunity as a foreign head of state, although the U.S. and other countries do not recognize Maduro as the legitimate leader of Venezuela.
Flores also pleaded not guilty to the charges in the U.S. Judge Hellerstein, a 92-year-old Orthodox Jew, scheduled a further hearing for March 17.
Read: OAS to Hold Emergency Meeting on Venezuela After U.S. Attack
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