#Trump admin ofcls told lawmakers that #Venezuela President Nicolas #Maduro & his wife #CiliaFlores were injured after hitting their heads as they were fleeing #US forces trying to arrest them….

Maduro & Flores ran & attempted to hide behind a heavy steel door inside their compound, but the door frame was low & they hit their heads as they tried to escape….Delta Force operators apprehended them & gave them first aid after they were extracted from the compound….

#law
https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/06/politics/maduro-wife-hit-heads-lawmaker-briefing

In Caracas, the National Assembly ratified #JorgeRodríguez as its president. He is the brother of #Venezuela’s new interim leader, #DelcyRodríguez. Like his sister, he highlighted his allegiance to #Maduro. He took the floor of the assembly & invited Maduro’s son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, & a son of #CiliaFlores, the elder Maduro’s wife & co-defendant, to join him as he unveiled a portrait of Maduro & Flores.

#MafiaState #imperialism #geopolitics #law #Trump #oil #sovereignty #InternationalLaw

In Caracas, the National Assembly ratified #JorgeRodríguez as its president. He is the brother of #Venezuela’s new interim leader, #DelcyRodríguez. Like his sister, he highlighted his allegiance to #Maduro. He took the floor of the assembly & invited Maduro’s son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, & a son of #CiliaFlores, the elder Maduro’s wife & co-defendant, to join him as he unveiled a portrait of Maduro & Flores.

#MafiaState #imperialism #geopolitics #law #Trump #oil #sovereignty #InternationalLaw

#Pollack says #Maduro has health problems that will require attention, & #CiliaFlores’ lawyer Mark #Donnelly said Flores sustained significant injuries including severe bruising on her ribs & asked that she be provided x-rays & a physical evaluation.

Judge #Hellerstein says he will see everyone in court on March 17 for the next hearing. The defendants are being led out.

The arraignment has concluded.

#MafiaState #law #criminal #Trump #abduction #Venezuela #oil #sovereignty #InternationalLaw 🧵

#Pollack notes he may file motions concerning Maduro’s role as head of a #SovereignState, & adding that “there are questions about the legality of his #military #abduction,” he adds. If Pollack files some kind of unlawful apprehension motion, that is when the issue will be addressed, as I mentioned earlier, it won’t be addressed today.

#MafiaState #law #criminal #Trump #abduction #Maduro #CiliaFlores #Venezuela #oil #sovereignty #InternationalLaw 🧵

#Pollack says #Maduro has health problems that will require attention, & #CiliaFlores’ lawyer Mark #Donnelly said Flores sustained significant injuries including severe bruising on her ribs & asked that she be provided x-rays & a physical evaluation.

Judge #Hellerstein says he will see everyone in court on March 17 for the next hearing. The defendants are being led out.

The arraignment has concluded.

#MafiaState #law #criminal #Trump #abduction #Venezuela #oil #sovereignty #InternationalLaw 🧵

#Pollack notes he may file motions concerning Maduro’s role as head of a #SovereignState, & adding that “there are questions about the legality of his #military #abduction,” he adds. If Pollack files some kind of unlawful apprehension motion, that is when the issue will be addressed, as I mentioned earlier, it won’t be addressed today.

#MafiaState #law #criminal #Trump #abduction #Maduro #CiliaFlores #Venezuela #oil #sovereignty #InternationalLaw 🧵

At initial hearings, a prosecutor usually summarizes the evidence in the case, like recordings, documents & other materials seized in searches. We may hear that soon from Kyle A. #Wirshba, an assistant #USattorney.

#MafiaState #law #criminal #Trump #abduction #Maduro #CiliaFlores #Venezuela #oil #sovereignty #InternationalLaw 🧵

Judge Hellerstein asks what would usually be rudimentary, housekeeping question: the date & time of the arrest. The prosecutor responds that the defendants entered law enforcement custody on 11:30 AM on Jan. 3. He does not mention the #military raid on #ForeignSoil that led to that apprehension.

The manner of apprehension will not be dealt with by the judge. That is established #law. Judge only deal with the charges in front of them in the #indictment.

#law #Maduro #CiliaFlores #Venezuela 🧵

#Maduro & wife #CiliaFlores are about to appear in court.

The Maduros’ appearance in Federal District Court in Manhattan could be brief. He & his wife, who are being held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, are expected to enter pleas of not guilty, & a judge will almost certainly order them detained. It could be well over a year before a jury is seated to weigh the evidence against them.

Here again is the indictment →
https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1422326/dl

#law #criminal #Trump #Venezuela #oil 🧵

At initial hearings, a prosecutor usually summarizes the evidence in the case, like recordings, documents & other materials seized in searches. We may hear that soon from Kyle A. #Wirshba, an assistant #USattorney.

#MafiaState #law #criminal #Trump #abduction #Maduro #CiliaFlores #Venezuela #oil #sovereignty #InternationalLaw 🧵

Judge Hellerstein asks what would usually be rudimentary, housekeeping question: the date & time of the arrest. The prosecutor responds that the defendants entered law enforcement custody on 11:30 AM on Jan. 3. He does not mention the #military raid on #ForeignSoil that led to that apprehension.

The manner of apprehension will not be dealt with by the judge. That is established #law. Judge only deal with the charges in front of them in the #indictment.

#law #Maduro #CiliaFlores #Venezuela 🧵

Judge Hellerstein turns to #CiliaFlores, Maduro’s wife and co-defendant.

As his wife stands in court, #Maduro sits back in his chair, his arms on the armrests. Occasionally, he clasps his hands in a prayer motion & lowers his head. He’s fidgeting & glancing around, then bowing his head.

Maduro’s wife spoke through an interpreter & pleaded not guilty.

“Not guilty, completely innocent,” Flores said.

#MafiaState #law #criminal #Trump #abduction #Venezuela #oil #sovereignty #InternationalLaw 🧵

Judge Hellerstein turns to #CiliaFlores, Maduro’s wife and co-defendant.

As his wife stands in court, #Maduro sits back in his chair, his arms on the armrests. Occasionally, he clasps his hands in a prayer motion & lowers his head. He’s fidgeting & glancing around, then bowing his head.

Maduro’s wife spoke through an interpreter & pleaded not guilty.

“Not guilty, completely innocent,” Flores said.

#MafiaState #law #criminal #Trump #abduction #Venezuela #oil #sovereignty #InternationalLaw 🧵

Ousted #Venezuela President Nicolás #Maduro has hired prominent #criminal defense lawyer #BarryPollack, who long represented #Wikileaks founder #JulianAssange….

#Pollack, a veteran Washington #trial lawyer, filed a notice of appearance Monday as Maduro’s attorney in the #SDNY narco-terrorism case, ahead of a hearing scheduled for noon.

#MafiaState #law #criminal #Trump #abduction #CiliaFlores #oil #sovereignty #InternationalLaw
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/nicolas-maduro-hires-julian-assange-lawyer-for-criminal-defense 🧵

Judge #Hellerstein says that it is his job to ensure a fair proceeding & a fair #trial, if it comes to that. “That’s my job & that’s my intent,” he says. He is now summarizing the indictment.

The judge asks #Maduro to identify himself. Maduro does so, in Spanish, calling himself the president of the republic of #Venezuela, & saying he is here, “#kidnapped.”

#MafiaState #law #criminal #Trump #abduction #CiliaFlores #Venezuela #oil #sovereignty #InternationalLaw 🧵

Ousted #Venezuela President Nicolás #Maduro has hired prominent #criminal defense lawyer #BarryPollack, who long represented #Wikileaks founder #JulianAssange….

#Pollack, a veteran Washington #trial lawyer, filed a notice of appearance Monday as Maduro’s attorney in the #SDNY narco-terrorism case, ahead of a hearing scheduled for noon.

#MafiaState #law #criminal #Trump #abduction #CiliaFlores #oil #sovereignty #InternationalLaw
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/nicolas-maduro-hires-julian-assange-lawyer-for-criminal-defense 🧵

Judge #Hellerstein says that it is his job to ensure a fair proceeding & a fair #trial, if it comes to that. “That’s my job & that’s my intent,” he says. He is now summarizing the indictment.

The judge asks #Maduro to identify himself. Maduro does so, in Spanish, calling himself the president of the republic of #Venezuela, & saying he is here, “#kidnapped.”

#MafiaState #law #criminal #Trump #abduction #CiliaFlores #Venezuela #oil #sovereignty #InternationalLaw 🧵

Judge Hellerstein has entered the courtroom & proceedings are beginning. #Maduro has appeared, wearing a shortlseeve navy shirt over orange jail garb. His hair is streaked with grey & he is taking notes.

Maduro is wearing black over-the-ear headphones for translation, as is his wife, #CiliaFlores, who is sitting 2 seats away from him in a similar same navy & orange outfit. Both have shackles around their ankles.

#MafiaState #law #criminal #Trump #Venezuela #oil #sovereignty #InternationalLaw 🧵

5 “overflow” courtrooms where spectators would be able to watch the proceedings on large screens are set up to be filled as needed after the actual courtroom was filled.

#Maduro is charged in a narco-terrorism conspiracy & a conspiracy to import cocaine, among other charges, & will likely plead not guilty.

#MafiaState #law #criminal #Trump #CiliaFlores #Venezuela #oil #sovereignty #InternationalLaw 🧵