Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are set to face trial in the United States starting on June 1, 2027, as ruled by a US judge. The couple, who denied drug trafficking and firearms charges, appeared in a New York court for the third time following their seizure by US troops in a military operation in early January. Judge Alvin Hellerstein scheduled the trial date during a brief 15-minute hearing at the request of both legal teams.
The trial proceedings are expected to begin with a challenge to the indictment on grounds of sovereign immunity by Maduro’s lawyer, Barry Pollack. If successful, this challenge could potentially exempt Maduro from further legal proceedings. The couple was forcefully taken by US military forces on January 3 in a high-profile operation against Venezuela and has been detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, since their capture in Caracas.
Despite ongoing efforts by Maduro’s legal team to dismiss the charges and objections to the US government’s restriction on using Venezuelan funds for legal expenses, the judge has upheld the case. The international community has expressed shock and concern over the US actions, with widespread condemnation following the seizure of Maduro and his wife.
