US judge sets June 2027 trial date for Venezuela's Maduro
Prosecutors and defense proposed a June 2027 trial start as Maduro’s lawyers prepare to challenge the case on immunity grounds.
- 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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209 Articles
The trial of the fallen Venezuelan president is scheduled for 1 June 2027 in New York. At the beginning of the year, Nicolas Maduro was captured by the United States for drug trafficking. - Maduro trial: the former president of Venezuela will be tried in New York from 1 June 2027 (International).
Tagesschau
The US is prosecuting the deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from 1 June 2027. The 63-year-old is facing a life sentence for "drug terrorism".
US judge sets Maduro trial date for June 2027
A US judge on Wednesday set a date for Venezuelan former President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, to go on trial in New York, where they will face charges of drug trafficking. The two have been detained since early January, when US forces entered Venezuela and seized them from their Caracas home. The unprecedented middle-of-the-night raid was hailed by US President Donald Trump as a "surgical law enforcement operation" in a criminal …
The trial of deposed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores will begin on June 1, 2027, New York judge Alvin Hellerstein decided today.
The US has set a date for the trial of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Judge Alvin Hellerstein has set a trial date for Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores for June 1, 2027. The couple face life in prison on drug trafficking charges.
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