Nicolas Maduro, the former Venezuelan leader facing serious charges of drug trafficking and weapons offenses in the United States, is set to appear in a New York federal court on Monday for his arraignment. This follows his recent capture by American forces at his presidential palace.

During the hearing scheduled for noon, Maduro will be officially informed of the charges against him. His wife, Cilia Flores, who was also detained during the operation, is expected to appear in court as well. Flores held a prominent position within Venezuela’s socialist government, similar to her husband.

Maduro is accused of four charges: conspiracy related to narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess these weapons.

“For more than 25 years, Venezuelan leaders have exploited their public office and compromised once-legitimate institutions to smuggle vast quantities of cocaine into the United States,” federal prosecutors stated in a recently updated indictment revealed over the weekend.

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro gestures alongside his wife, Cilia Flores, as they depart the Capitolio, home of the National Assembly, after his presidential inauguration in Caracas on January 10, 2025. (Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Images)

Flores faces three: cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.

Similar proceedings are usually short. There won’t be any witness testimony, the defendants will have a chance to enter their pleas, and the judge will set the next court date and address the subject of pretrial release.

Bail is highly unlikely, according to legal experts.

President Donald Trump shared a photo of captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro aboard the USS Iwo Jima after strikes on Venezuela, on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026.  (Donald Trump via Truth Social)

“I think I have a better chance of winning the next Power Ball,” David Gelman, a Philadelphia-area defense attorney, told Fox News Digital. “When [former Panama dictator Manuel] Noriega was arraigned, he didn’t get bail.”

Noriega was similarly deposed by U.S. forces in 1989 on racketeering and drug trafficking charges.

Maduro is being held in the same federal jail in Brooklyn as accused assassin Luigi Mangione.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro holds a ceremonial sword said to have belonged to independence hero Simon Bolivar during a government-organized civic-military march in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (Ariana Cubillos/AP Photo)

“Years ago, he was indicted in U.S. federal court for narco-terrorism,” said Royal Oakes, a Los Angeles-based lawyer and legal analyst.

Federal prosecutors secured a grand jury indictment in 2020. More recently, the government placed a $50 million bounty on his head as President Donald Trump urged him to step down.

The selection of New York’s Southern District Court to handle the case could have a significant impact on how it plays out, Oakes said.

New Yorkers just elected an openly socialist mayor, but he said the success of Maduro’s capture without any American casualties could also play a role.

“The outcome of the mission could also shape public opinion and thus a jury verdict,” Oakes said.