A U.S. judge sets a trial date of June 1, 2027, for ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in New York. Prosecutors charge Maduro and Flores in connection with alleged drug trafficking and related offenses, including a narco-terrorism conspiracy and cocaine-importation conspiracy, along with firearms counts tied to machine guns and destructive devices. Maduro and his wife pleaded not guilty to four federal counts earlier, and the case proceeds in federal court.
The rulings and reporting describe the defendants as having been captured by U.S. forces in a raid in January 2026 and held in a Brooklyn jail for months before further court proceedings. At a recent court appearance, a judge approved a proposed schedule that places the trial in June 2027.
Defense lawyers plan to challenge the indictment and also argue that the case should be dismissed on legal grounds. One line of argument, reported by multiple outlets, is that Maduro is immune from prosecution as head of a sovereign state, and that the legality of the capture and related U.S. actions should be reviewed. If convicted, the defendants face the possibility of life imprisonment.
