MADURO ARRAIGNMENT

Nicolás Maduro entered that Manhattan federal courtroom yesterday stripped of every illusion he spent a decade manufacturing. No balcony. No generals. No choreographed crowds. Just a translation headset, a jumpsuit, and a judge who didn’t care about his slogans, his mythology, or the fantasy presidency he still claims to hold. He pleaded not guilty to narcoterrorism and cocaine‑importation conspiracy charges, calling himself a “prisoner of war” and insisting he was captured illegally. Judge Alvin Hellerstein didn’t indulge a second of it. He cut off the theatrics, shut down the speeches, and ordered Maduro held without bail at MDC Brooklyn until at least March 17.