Maduro Faces US Court on Drug Charges After Dramatic Capture

• Deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro made his first US court appearance on January 5, facing narco-terrorism and drug trafficking charges.
• Maduro and his wife were captured in a military operation, transported under armed guard from Brooklyn jail to a Manhattan courthouse.
• The indictment accuses Maduro and others of working with drug cartels to ship thousands of tons of cocaine to the US, ordering violence, and his wife of accepting bribes.
• Maduro's lawyers are expected to argue sovereign immunity, but the US does not recognize him as Venezuela's legitimate head of state.
• US President Trump made strong statements regarding Colombia's president and demanded "total access" from Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodríguez.

Why It Matters: Maduro's US court debut marks a major legal battle over drug charges and sovereign immunity.