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// DOSSIER — us-court-schedules-trial-nicolas-maduro-wife
US Court Schedules June 2027 Trial for Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Wife
REL_TIME: 23 Jul 2026 06:42Z · LANG: EN
US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein has set a trial date of June 1, 2027, for former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The couple, who were captured by US special forces during a January 2026 military raid in Caracas, face federal charges of narcoterrorism, cocaine importation conspiracy, and weapons offenses. Both have pleaded not guilty, with Maduro's defense team planning to challenge the case on grounds of sovereign immunity and the legality of the military operation that brought them to the United States. Since the capture, Venezuela has been led by interim President Delcy Rodríguez, who has shifted the nation toward closer cooperation with Washington.
// Background
The US government stopped recognizing Nicolás Maduro as Venezuela's legitimate leader in 2019, accusing him of rigging the 2018 and 2024 elections. In 2020, the US Department of Justice indicted Maduro on drug-trafficking charges, eventually offering a $50 million reward for his arrest. The January 2026 raid followed years of escalating sanctions and political tension between the Trump administration and the socialist Maduro regime.
// Key Developments
- Trial for Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores is scheduled to begin on June 1, 2027, in Manhattan federal court.
- The defendants face four felony counts, including narcoterrorism conspiracy and cocaine importation, carrying a potential life sentence.
- Maduro and Flores were seized during a January 3, 2026, US military raid in Caracas that reportedly killed between 56 and 83 people.
- Defense attorney Barry Pollack intends to file motions to dismiss based on sovereign immunity and the alleged illegality of the 'abduction'.
- The US government has assumed control of Venezuelan oil exports, placing proceeds into Washington-monitored accounts.
- Maduro also faces a separate civil lawsuit regarding alleged extrajudicial killings by Venezuelan security forces between 2017 and 2020.
// Timeline
-
US special forces conduct a nighttime raid in Caracas, capturing Maduro and Flores.
-
Maduro makes his first US court appearance and pleads not guilty.
-
US authorities modify sanctions to allow frozen Venezuelan funds to pay for Maduro's legal defense.
-
Judge Alvin Hellerstein sets the trial date for June 1, 2027.
-
Deadline for the first round of legal motions, including the motion for sovereign immunity.
-
Scheduled commencement of the federal trial in Manhattan.
// Perspectives
[US Trump Administration]
Justifies the military raid as a 'surgical law enforcement operation' to dismantle a criminal narcoterrorism conspiracy.
[Maduro Defense Team]
Argues the capture was an illegal abduction and that Maduro is entitled to sovereign immunity as a head of state.
[International Legal Scholars]
Many have characterized the US military operation in Caracas and subsequent removal of Maduro as illegal under international law.
[Interim Venezuelan Government (Delcy Rodríguez)]
Has aligned the country more closely with US interests and facilitated expanded foreign oil and gas projects.
// Quotes
“I am not guilty. I am a decent man, the constitutional president of my country.”
“Prisoner of war.”
“The United States is basically doing an armed robbery. The rest of the world is watching, and people don't trust the U.S. government now.”
