New york: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are scheduled to appear Monday at a federal court in New York, according to a spokesperson for the US District Court in the Southern District of New York.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Maduro and Flores will appear at the Manhattan federal court in New York at 12 pm on Monday, two days after they were abducted in a US military operation against Venezuela. The couple was transferred to New York late Saturday and is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. They face accusations of drug trafficking and collaboration with terrorist groups, charges that Maduro has denied.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that the operation to capture Maduro involved extensive coordination and planning within different federal government sectors. Bondi emphasized that Maduro and Flores would soon confront the full extent of American justice.

The charges against Maduro are consistent with those outlined in a 2020 indictment against him and several of his aides. The indictment, prepared by New York US Attorney Jay Clayton, alleges that Venezuelan leaders have exploited their positions for over 25 years, facilitating the importation of cocaine into the United States. It further claims that Maduro has been central to this corruption, using his authority and compromised institutions to transport large quantities of cocaine to the US.