Nicolás Maduro appeared today for the second time before the federal court of the Southern District of New York, in a hearing presided over by Judge Alvin Hellerstein, which left revealing images of the state of mind of the former Venezuelan dictator: visibly anxious, with nervous tics, and in stark contrast to the composure of his wife Cilia Flores. According to the real-time coverage from the courtroom, the scene was far from that of a man confident in his position.
The hearing, scheduled for 11:00 a.m., began with nearly an hour delay, around 11:45 a.m. (15:45 GMT). The NTN24 journalist, @rmacedonio_tv, who covered the appearance from the courtroom, described Maduro in terms that can hardly be interpreted as those of a man confident in his position: "he constantly moved his legs, drank water frequently, put on and took off his glasses repeatedly, and had nervous tics. He appeared to be a cowed man."
In contrast, Cilia Flores appeared "calmer and with her arms crossed," according to the same journalist. Both have been detained in a federal prison in Brooklyn since January 3, 2026, when they were captured in Caracas during the so-called Operation Absolute Resolution, a U.S. military operation that involved approximately 200 troops and 150 aircraft.
The most relaxed moment of the day came when defense attorney Barry Pollack formally requested the dismissal of all charges. The request, rather than creating tension, had the opposite effect: "Everyone in the room laughed, and the judge responded that he was not going to do it," reported the NTN24 journalist.
The hearing revolved around two main axes. On one side, the defense's motion to dismiss the charges for alleged violations of the Fifth and Sixth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. On the other, the dispute over defense funding: Pollack presented a 17-page document arguing that the current sanctions against Venezuela prevent Maduro from accessing Venezuelan state funds to cover his legal representation. The Prosecutor's Office strongly rejected both requests.
Maduro and Flores face four charges: conspiracy for narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, possession of machine guns, and conspiracy to possess weapons of war. All of these carry a potential life sentence. On January 5, they pleaded not guilty in their initial court appearance.
Judge Hellerstein, 92 years old and appointed by Bill Clinton in 1998, is a prominent figure in federal justice. He has presided over cases related to 9/11, Harvey Weinstein, and Michael Cohen, and previously handled the case against Hugo "El Pollo" Carvajal, sentenced in 2024 to 21 years and 8 months in prison, in which Maduro was also named as involved.
The hearing today concluded without key decisions and without a date set for the trial. According to experts, the process is not expected to start for another one to two years, which means that the Venezuelan ex-dictator faces a long wait behind bars before learning his ultimate fate.
Filed under: