A federal court in the United States has officially scheduled the trial of Venezuela's ousted president, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, for June 1, 2027. Judge Alvin Hellerstein established the date during a brief 20-minute hearing on Wednesday, acting upon a joint request submitted by both prosecutors and defense counsel. The proceedings come more than seven months after the couple was taken into custody by American commandos during a nighttime raid on their compound in Caracas on January 3.
The operation, described as a lightning strike involving coordinated naval, air, and ground forces, resulted in the abduction of the former leader, who had held power in Venezuela since 2013. Following their capture, Maduro and Flores were transported to a jail in Brooklyn, where they have remained while pleading not guilty to charges involving federal firearms and drug trafficking. Maduro specifically faces four counts: conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess such weaponry.
Outside the Manhattan courthouse, protesters gathered to display Venezuelan flags and signs calling for the president's release. Maduro, 63, has characterized himself as a prisoner of war. Meanwhile, his defense lawyer, Barry Pollack, announced plans to seek a dismissal of the case, arguing that as the head of a sovereign state, Maduro should be granted immunity from prosecution. Additionally, the couple previously challenged the blocking of their legal funding, arguing that the restriction violated their constitutional right to counsel of choice; the US government eventually permitted Venezuela to fund their defense in April.
Since the January incident, Venezuela has been governed by former vice president and ally Delcy Rodriguez. The United States currently maintains control over Venezuela's oil exports, with revenue directed into specialized accounts overseen by Washington. Beyond the criminal charges, Maduro is also named in a separate civil case brought by the families of five men killed in Venezuela, who allege that he ordered the extrajudicial killings.
