'I Was Captured' Deposed Venezuelan Leader Nicolas Maduro Says

>> SCRIPPS NEWS GROUP.

>> WELCOME BACK. THIS MORNING,

FORMER VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO AND HIS WIFE ARE BACK IN A BROOKLYN DETENTION CENTER AWAITING THEIR NEXT COURT DATE.

>> SCRIPPS NEWS GROUP'S JOE SAINT GEORGE JOINS US LIVE FROM WASHINGTON THIS MORNING.

JOE, WHAT HAPPENED IN COURT YESTERDAY? AND WHAT HAPPENS

YESTERDAY? AND WHAT HAPPENS NOW FOR VENEZUELA?

>> AND HIS WIFE PLED NOT GUILTY THE NARCOTERRORISM CHARGES. THE FORMER LEADER

CHARGES. THE FORMER LEADER VENEZUELA. FACTO LEADER OF

VENEZUELA. FACTO LEADER OF VENEZUELA CLAIM THAT HE HAD BEEN KIDNAPPED BY THE U.S. AND

BY THE ADMINISTRATION. THAT'S

CLEARLY GOING TO BE PART OF HIS DEFENSE HERE. I THINK NOW A LOT OF THE FOCUS SHIFTS TO VENEZUELA. THE COUNTRY ITSELF,

VENEZUELA. THE COUNTRY ITSELF, THE REBUILDING OF VENEZUELA.

AND WE LEARN MORE FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP YESTERDAY IN AN INTERVIEW WITH NBC NEWS ABOUT HIS VISION AND TIMELINE FOR REBUILDING. WHO'S GOING TO

FOR REBUILDING. WHO'S GOING TO PAY FOR REBUILDING VENEZUELA.

THE PRESIDENT SAID THAT IT MAY TAKE FEWER THAN 18 MONTHS OF THE YEAR AND A HALF OR SO TO GET VENEZUELA UP AND RUNNING.

THAT'S REALLY THE FIRST TIME LINE OF THAT DEGREE THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM THE PRESIDENT.

ADDITIONALLY, HE CONTINUES TO BELIEVE THAT AMERICAN OIL COMPANIES, ENERGY COMPANIES WILL PAY AT LEAST INITIALLY THE COST OF REBUILDING MUCH OF VENEZUELA, REBUILDING THE ENERGY SECTOR, AT LEAST IN

VENEZUELA. AND IN TURN

VENEZUELA. AND IN TURN REBUILDING THE VENEZUELAN ECONOMY. HE MAY HAVE A HICCUP

ECONOMY. HE MAY HAVE A HICCUP ON THAT FRONT. WE'LL GET TO THAT IN A MOMENT. BUT THE

PRESIDENT SAYING I'M JUST GONNA QUOTE THE PRESIDENT NOW, QUOTE, A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY WILL HAVE TO BE SPENT AND THE OIL COMPANIES WILL SPEND IT AND THEN THEY'LL GET REIMBURSED BY US OR THROUGH

REVENUE. NOW THAT LAST PHRASE

REVENUE. NOW THAT LAST PHRASE REIMBURSED BY US LIKELY MEANS THE AMERICAN TAXPAYER. THAT

MEANS LIKELY A CONGRESSIONAL COMPONENT TO ALL OF THIS. NOW,

HERE'S WHERE THE POTENTIAL HICCUP FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP.

RAS. SO FAR. IT'S NOT AS IF AMERICAN ENERGY COMPANIES AND AMERICAN OIL EXECUTIVES ARE LINING UP AT THE DOOR, EAGER TO GET BACK INTO VENEZUELA AS EXXON MOBIL CEO SAID TOLD

BLOOMBERG BACK IN NOVEMBER THERE'S STILL A LITTLE BIT OF A FATIGUE FROM WHAT HAPPENED DECADES AGO. REMEMBER,

DECADES AGO. REMEMBER, AMERICAN ENERGY COMPANIES WERE ALREADY IN VENEZUELA DECADES AGO. AND THEN THE GOVERNMENT

AGO. AND THEN THE GOVERNMENT ESSENTIALLY CHANGE HANDS. THEY

NATIONALIZED THE INDUSTRY, AMERICAN OIL COMPANIES ROUTE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. THERE IS

A CONCERN. BUT WHAT HAPPENS IF THE CURRENT VENEZUELAN GOVERNMENT FALLS IN 6 MONTHS TIME OR LOOKS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT IN ONE YEAR'S TIME.

THAT'S THE CONCERN AND THE CHALLENGE FOR THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO RECRUIT ESSENTIALLY AMERICAN OIL COMPANIES TO GET BACK INTO VENEZUELA. WE WILL BE WATCHING

VENEZUELA. WE WILL BE WATCHING THAT PART OF THE STORY AS IS THE CASE IN LIFE. GUYS

THE CASE IN LIFE. GUYS