Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores pleaded not guilty to all charges during their first appearance in a federal court in New York.
The hearing was held before US District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein and lasted less than an hour.
Maduro faces charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and weapons offences.
Flores and several senior Venezuelan officials, including Maduro’s son, are also named in the indictment.
Maduro and Flores were captured in Caracas during a surprise US military operation over the weekend.
Entering the courtroom, Maduro greeted attendees with “Happy New Year” and described himself as Venezuela’s president and a prisoner of war.
Flores introduced herself as Venezuela’s first lady and appeared with visible injuries believed to have been sustained during the operation.
US prosecutors allege Maduro coordinated large-scale cocaine trafficking into the United States with support from Venezuelan security forces.
The indictment claims Maduro provided diplomatic passports to traffickers and worked with drug cartels operating across the Caribbean and Central America.
Authorities allege the drug trafficking activity began as early as 1999.
Maduro and his wife will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.
Pam Bondi said.