Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, will go on trial in the United States on June 1, 2027, over drug trafficking charges after a federal judge approved the schedule on Wednesday.Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, have pleaded not guilty to charges that they conspired to traffic cocaine into the United States.If convicted, they could face life imprisonment. The couple has been held at a jail in Brooklyn since US forces captured them during a military raid in Caracas in early January and brought them to New York.
Defence to challenge indictment and legality of capture
US district judge Alvin K Hellerstein set the June 1, 2027 trial date after a request from both the prosecution and defence. Under the schedule, Maduro’s legal team will begin filing motions in September seeking dismissal of the indictment.During Wednesday’s hearing, defence lawyer Barry Pollack said he would first challenge the case on the grounds of sovereign immunity, arguing that Maduro, as the head of a sovereign state, should be immune from prosecution.If successful, Pollack argued, Maduro would not have to continue litigating the case.Pollack has also indicated that the defence intends to challenge the legality of Maduro’s capture, describing it as a “military abduction”. Maduro has similarly called himself a “prisoner of war” and described the US operation as a kidnapping.Neither Maduro nor Flores spoke during the 15-minute hearing. They have also not sought release on bail, according to news agency AP.
US alleges cocaine trafficking conspiracy
US prosecutors allege that Maduro used his position as Venezuela’s leader to facilitate the shipment of thousands of tonnes of cocaine into the United States by working with Venezuelan law enforcement and drug traffickers.Maduro faces four felony counts, including narcoterrorism conspiracy and conspiracy to import cocaine.At his arraignment in January, Maduro denied the allegations, saying, “I am not guilty. I am a decent man, the constitutional president of my country.”The Trump administration has defended the January 3 military raid as lawful.An advisory opinion issued by the US Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel before the operation concluded that President Donald Trump could order the mission unilaterally because it served an important national interest and did not amount to a war requiring congressional approval.
Case unfolds amid changing US-Venezuela ties
Maduro led Venezuela from 2013 until his capture in January. After his removal, former Vice President Delcy RodrÃguez assumed leadership and has since established closer ties with the Trump administration.The report added that Washington has eased sanctions on Venezuela’s oil industry, allowing foreign companies to expand oil and gas projects in the country.Ahead of the trial, Judge Hellerstein has scheduled a hearing on November 17 to consider the defence’s motions seeking dismissal of the case, while additional legal challenges may be filed in early 2027 after prosecutors disclose any classified evidence.
