Deposed Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro has pleaded not guilty to charges of narco-terrorism in a United States court, as authorities in Venezuela launched a nationwide search for alleged collaborators following his dramatic arrest by U.S. forces.

Maduro, 63, entered the plea on Monday before a federal judge in Manhattan, telling the court that he had been “kidnapped” from Venezuela. According to U.S. media reports, he declared: “I’m innocent; I’m not guilty.”

“I’m still the president of my country,” he was quoted as saying.

Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, also pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The pair were seized in the early hours of Saturday during a U.S.-led operation at Maduro’s residence in Caracas, involving special forces supported by warplanes and a substantial naval deployment.

In the aftermath of the arrest, Venezuelan authorities issued a decree declaring a state of emergency. The decree, which came into force on Saturday but was published in full on Monday, instructed all police units at the federal, state, and municipal levels to identify individuals suspected of assisting the U.S. operation.

Several U.S. media outlets reported that American forces appeared to have received help on the ground, with one individual within Maduro’s inner circle allegedly providing repeated updates on his whereabouts.

Meanwhile, Venezuela’s journalists’ union, the National Union of Press Workers (SNTP), said 14 reporters were detained in the immediate aftermath of the operation. The organisation later confirmed that all of the journalists had since been released.

The arrest has triggered widespread international concern. Addressing an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, UN Secretary-General Mr. Antonio Guterres called for “respect for the principles of sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity”.

Regional leaders also voiced sharp criticism. Mexican President Ms. Claudia Sheinbaum said the Americas “do not belong” to any single country, while Colombian President Mr. Gustavo Petro issued a defiant statement, saying that as a former guerrilla fighter, he was prepared to “take up arms” against U.S. President Mr. Donald Trump.

In a series of controversial announcements over the weekend, President Trump declared that the United States is now effectively running Venezuela, with plans to rebuild and assume control of the country’s vast but dilapidated oil industry.

Maduro assumed office in 2013 following the death of his hardline socialist predecessor, Mr. Hugo Chávez. The United States and the European Union have long accused him of clinging to power through rigged elections, jailing political opponents, and presiding over widespread corruption.