Venezuela’s deposed President Nicolás Maduro appeared in a federal court in Manhattan Monday, where he pleaded “not guilty” to four criminal counts, including “narcoterrorism” conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and possession of machine guns and destructive devices. If convicted, each charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. During his arraignment, Maduro declared, “I am not guilty. I am a decent man. I remain the president of my country.” In charging documents, prosecutors abandoned the Justice Department’s prior claim that Maduro is head of a drug cartel called Cartel de los Soles. In fact, no such organization exists; it’s a Venezuelan slang term dating to the 1990s referring to public officials who are corrupted by drug money.

Meanwhile, Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded “not guilty” to the three criminal counts she faces. Flores appeared with bandages on her temple and forehead; her lawyer says she suffered significant injuries, including a possible rib fracture, as she was abducted by a U.S. Army Delta Force team in a predawn raid on the presidential residence in Caracas early on Saturday. Venezuelan officials say the U.S. assault caused at least 80 deaths.