CNN: Maduro arrives at New York federal court in armored vehicle VIDEO

An armoured vehicle carrying Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife has arrived at the federal courthouse in Manhattan, New York.

Maduro boarded the helicopter a short while ago, wearing a tan outfit, and after landing on the island, he was escorted into a van, according to CNN.

The court session is scheduled for 21:00 Baku time and will be presided over by District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, known for his strict handling of cases involving international offences.

US prosecutors unsealed a superseding indictment against Maduro, his wife Cilia Flores, and other Venezuelan officials in the Southern District of New York, charging them with narco‑terrorism, drug trafficking, and weapons offences linked to alleged state‑sponsored cocaine shipments to the United States.

The indictment asserts Maduro used his political power to facilitate and protect large‑scale cocaine trafficking operations, working with cartels such as Mexico’s Sinaloa and Colombia’s FARC, and employing government structures to move drugs and profits.

US authorities have framed the charges as involving decades of corruption, involving the Cártel de los Soles network, with potential life sentences if convictions are secured.

The capture and extradition of Maduro by US forces has sparked international controversy, with critics accusing the United States of violating Venezuelan sovereignty and raising complex legal and diplomatic questions.

By Jeyhun Aghazada