{"id":2531322,"date":"2026-01-08T07:30:02","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T12:30:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-cuts-off-maduro-in-court-as-he-tries-to-defend-himself\/"},"modified":"2026-01-08T07:31:28","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T12:31:28","slug":"judge-cuts-off-maduro-in-court-as-he-tries-to-defend-himself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-cuts-off-maduro-in-court-as-he-tries-to-defend-himself\/","title":{"rendered":"Judge Cuts Off Maduro in Court as He Tries to Defend Himself"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fjudge-cuts-off-maduro-in-court-as-he-tries-to-defend-himself%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2531322&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>At a Manhattan arraignment Monday, Venezuelan leader Nicol\u00e1s Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty after being indicted on four <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >counts including narco\u2011terrorism conspiracy<\/a>, cocaine importation conspiracy, and related weapons charges. When asked to identify himself, Maduro asserted he was the president of Venezuela and said he had been captured at his home in Caracas, but Judge Alvin Hellerstein cut him off, saying there woudl be time to address those claims later. Barry Pollack, who has represented high\u2011profile clients before, is listed as Maduro&#8217;s lawyer, and former federal prosecutor Mark Donnelly represents Flores. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi praised the capture on X,thanking President Trump and the military for the operation.The story is developing and may be updated.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>The federal judge overseeing Venezuelan dictator Nicol&aacute;s Maduro&rsquo;s case cut off the ousted leader as he tried to defend himself in court on Monday, according to several reports.<\/p>\n<p>Both Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty during their arraignment in Manhattan.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I am the president of Venezuela, I was captured at my home in Caracas, Venezuela,&rdquo; Maduro told the judge when asked to identify himself, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/us-news\/live-blog\/maduro-venezuela-trump-court-live-updates-rcna252230\">according<\/a> to NBC News.<\/p>\n<p>Judge Alvin Hellerstein, a Clinton appointee, interrupted Maduro to say he was only asking for his identity, noting &ldquo;there will be time and place to get into all of this,&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/live\/2026\/01\/05\/world\/venezuela-maduro-trump\">according<\/a> to The New York Times.<\/p>\n<p>Maduro was <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.nysd.534994\/gov.uscourts.nysd.534994.260.0_2.pdf\">indicted<\/a> on four counts Saturday for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/after-killing-u-s-energy-production-the-biden-administration-is-negotiating-with-venezuelan-terrorists-for-oil\/\" title=\"After Killing U.S. Energy Production, The Biden Administration Is Negotiating With Venezuelan Terrorists For Oil\">narco-terrorism conspiracy<\/a>, cocaine importation conspiracy, and weapons charges.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I am a decent man,&rdquo; Maduro said, per NBC. &ldquo;I am still the president of my country.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Barry Pollack, a nationally recognized trial <a href=\"https:\/\/hs-law.com\/barry-pollack\">lawyer<\/a> who previously represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, is <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.nysd.534994\/gov.uscourts.nysd.534994.269.0_4.pdf\">representing<\/a> Maduro, according to court records. Maduro&rsquo;s wife, Cilia Flores, is <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.nysd.376123\/gov.uscourts.nysd.376123.268.0.pdf\">represented<\/a> by former federal prosecutor Mark Donnelly.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts,&rdquo; Attorney General Pam Bondi <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AGPamBondi\/status\/2007428087143686611\">wrote<\/a> Saturday on X. &ldquo;On behalf of the entire U.S. DOJ, I would like to thank President Trump for having the courage to demand accountability on behalf of the American People, and a huge thank you to our brave military who conducted the incredible and highly successful mission to capture these two <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wrath-of-american-justice-ag-pam-bondi-outlines-criminal-charges-that-could-put-maduro-away-for-good\/\" title=\"&#039;Wrath of American Justice&#039;: AG Pam Bondi Outlines Criminal Charges That Could Put Maduro Away for Good\">alleged international narco traffickers<\/a>.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><em>This is a breaking news story and will be updated.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"disclaimer\">\n<p><em>All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter&rsquo;s byline and their DCNF affiliation. 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