Maduro Pleads Not Guilty to Drug Charges as Venezuela Swears In Interim President

Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are back in custody at a New York-area detention center after pleading not guilty Monday to conspiracy and drug trafficking charges. The ousted Venezuelan president and his political ally were captured by U.S. forces in a military operation over the weekend.

In Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez has been sworn in as interim president following a Supreme Court ruling that she would assume power after the American operation Saturday. The 56-year-old previously served as Maduro's vice president. During the televised ceremony, Rodriguez told Venezuelans she "came with sorrow" to take the oath.

Congressional leadership received its first closed-door briefing on the Trump-authorized strike the following Monday night. The "Gang of Eight"—senior House and Senate members along with ranking intelligence committee members—were debriefed on the Saturday mission.

Lawmakers emerged with sharply different assessments. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the briefing "very extensive" but said it "posed far more questions than it ever answered," adding that plans for U.S. involvement in Venezuela appeared "vague" and "based on wishful thinking." House Speaker Mike Johnson countered that the president acted within his legal authority and executed the operation "with exquisite intelligence and extreme precision" with no American casualties.

What President Trump means when he says the U.S. is now "in charge" in Venezuela remains unclear. Rodriguez has offered to collaborate with the Trump administration, but her government has simultaneously ordered police to arrest anyone involved in supporting the weekend operation that removed Maduro from power.