US judge sets June 2027 trial date for Venezuela's Maduro
The judge also set deadlines for pretrial motions as Maduro’s lawyers plan to challenge sovereign immunity and the legality of his capture.
- A U.S. federal judge has scheduled the trial of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, for June 1, 2027. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein approved the timeline during a hearing in Manhattan federal court after a joint proposal from federal prosecutors and defense counsel.
- The couple faces heavy federal narcotics and weapons charges, including narcoterrorism conspiracy and cocaine importation conspiracy. Prosecutors allege Maduro used state power over 25 years to assist drug traffickers in moving thousands of tons of cocaine into the United States. Both have pleaded not guilty and face potential life imprisonment if convicted.
- Maduro and Flores have been held at a Brooklyn jail since January following a nighttime U.S. military raid on their Caracas compound. While the Trump administration framed the action as a targeted law enforcement operation, Maduro has characterized himself as a "prisoner of war" and described his seizure as a military abduction.
- Defense attorneys plan to challenge the indictment before trial, with key arguments expected to center on sovereign/head-of-state immunity and the legality of Maduro’s capture under international law. Judge Hellerstein set November 17 for a hearing to address pretrial motions seeking to dismiss the case.
- The lengthy timeline accounts for complex legal hurdles, including handling classified intelligence disclosures and navigating legal defense funding. The U.S. Treasury Department previously granted a waiver allowing the Venezuelan government—now led by Vice President Delcy Rodríguez—to pay for Maduro's legal representation.
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The White House asks to respect Delcy’s immunity as head of state, a deal that denies Maduro. More information: The trial for drug trafficking against Maduro and his wife will begin on June 1, 2027
The trial of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, arrested by the United States, will begin on June 1, 2027, before a federal...
Half a year after the arrest of the deposed Venezuelan head of state Nicolás Maduro, a court has set the start of the trial. The date will be June 1, 2027. The 63-year-old is threatened with a life sentence for "drug terrorism". The prosecutor's office accuses Maduro and his 69-year-old wife, Cecilia Flores, of allied themselves with drug cartels at the head of Venezuela and smuggling tons of cocaine into the United States. He is said to have ga…
The federal judge in charge of the case of the deposed Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, proposed on Wednesday that the trial begin on June 1, 2027, following the resolution of the petition for immunity that the defense intends to present, at a hearing in which both defendants presented a better aspect than in the previous appearances.
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