Maduro Pleads 'Not Guilty' to US Narco-Terrorism Charges, Claims Presidency

• Former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro pleaded "not guilty" to drug trafficking and narco-terrorism charges in a US federal court in Manhattan.
• Maduro asserted he was "still Venezuela President" and a "decent man," claiming he was forcibly "captured" from Venezuela.
• US prosecutors accuse Maduro of leading a state-backed drug trafficking network that smuggled large quantities of cocaine into the United States.
• He faces charges including narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking conspiracy, carrying potential sentences from decades to life in prison.
• His lawyers plan to challenge the arrest's legality, arguing sovereign immunity, but the US does not recognize him as Venezuela's legitimate leader.

Why It Matters: Nicolás Maduro denies US narco-terrorism charges, asserting his presidential legitimacy despite US non-recognition.