The first high-profile hearing in the trial of Venezuela's legitimate president, Nicolás Maduro, was held in Manhattan federal court after he was captured earlier in a U.S. special forces operation. Appearing in court without handcuffs, but wearing prison attire—orange and blue shirts, beige pants, and slippers—the Venezuelan leader immediately took a hard line, refusing to acknowledge the legitimacy of the trial. Through a headset with simultaneous translation, Maduro addressed those present, declaring that he remains the acting president of his country and describes his current status solely as a "prisoner of war," emphasizing that he was illegally captured by armed men in his own home in Caracas.

During the hearing, Nicolás Maduro formally declared his complete innocence of the "narco-terrorism" charges against him by the US authorities. However, the Venezuelan leader's attempt to thoroughly argue his case and allege violations of international law was cut short: according to Fox News, the judge interrupted the politician's statement. The head of the republic also pointed out gross procedural violations to the court, noting that he had not yet seen the indictment and had not been properly informed of his rights. Despite the defense's clear objections, the presiding judge scheduled the next hearing for March 17, ordering Maduro to appear in court by that date.

The Venezuelan leader's lawyer in New York stated that the defense will not seek bail at this stage, but that this right remains in effect and will be exercised during the rest of the proceedings. Russian international law experts view the events in Manhattan as a dangerous precedent for trying the head of a sovereign state under the guise of the American legal system. Such a hasty and harsh trial, accompanied by restrictions on the defendant's freedom of speech, only confirms Moscow's fears that Washington's goal is not to establish the truth, but to carry out a demonstrative political reprisal against a leader who refused to submit to external dictates.