President Donald Trump has called the case against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro "infallible," as the toppled leader is expected Monday to make his first appearance in federal court.
Maduro is set to appear in a Manhattan federal court at noon local time for arraignment on a four-count indictment accusing him of leading a 25-year narco-terrorism conspiracy. It will be Maduro's first court appearance after he and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured over the weekend in an overnight United States military attack on Venezuela and whisked away to New York.
"There is no endgame. We're just going to go through a slog of a trial," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Jan. 4. "We'll see how we do. The case is, it's infallible."
The toppled leader was indicted on federal charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and two illegal weapons counts based on allegations he helped ship tons of cocaine to the United States over decades. He was charged along with his wife, son and top members of his administration.
The surprise attack marked a significant escalation against the South American country after months of rising tensions, threats and oil tanker seizures. The military operation has drawn support from Trump’s allies but also bipartisan criticism as some lawmakers have questioned the legality of an operation to seize the head of state of a foreign power.
