Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are scheduled to appear before U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein in a Manhattan federal court on Wednesday. The hearing will address the schedule for their drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracy case, with prosecutors and defense lawyers proposing a trial start date in June 2027.
Maduro and Flores were captured by U.S. Special Forces during a January 3 nighttime raid at their home in Caracas, an operation ordered by President Donald Trump. They were brought to New York and are currently held at a Brooklyn jail. Both have pleaded not guilty to charges that they used their leadership positions to facilitate cocaine shipments and colluded with Venezuelan law enforcement to assist drug kingpins.
Defense lawyer Barry Pollack has indicated that the defense will challenge the legality of the capture, which Maduro has described as a kidnapping and termed himself a prisoner of war. Proposed legal motions to dismiss the case, including claims of immunity as the head of a sovereign state, are due by September 2. A second round of motions is proposed for January 11, 2027, following the review of classified evidence.
The United States describes Maduro as a corrupt dictator who rigged elections in 2018 and 2024. Since his capture, Venezuela has been led by former Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who has established closer ties with the Trump administration. This shift has seen the easing of oil industry sanctions and the provision of U.S. military relief assistance following earthquakes that killed more than 5,000 people.