Judge sets 2027 trial for Maduro and Flores in US drug case
A federal judge scheduled a June 1, 2027 trial for Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores, who deny US drug trafficking charges.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
2 min read
A United States judge has set a June 1, 2027 trial date for former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a federal drug trafficking case. The proceeding extends a case that has drawn international legal scrutiny because Maduro and Flores were taken from Venezuela during a US military operation in January, according to Al Jazeera and The Associated Press.
Judge Alvin Hellerstein set the date on Wednesday during a 15-minute hearing, Al Jazeera and AP reported. Maduro and Flores did not speak in court, and both have pleaded not guilty while disputing the legitimacy of the prosecution.
The Trump administration says Maduro was involved in a conspiracy to send cocaine to the United States while serving as head of state, according to Al Jazeera and AP. International legal scholars have widely described the January operation in Caracas as illegal, Al Jazeera reported.
At his January arraignment, Maduro rejected the charges and said: “I am not guilty. I am a decent man, the constitutional president of my country.”
Defense plans immunity challenge
Maduro’s attorney, Barry Pollack, said he expects to contest the legality of the US military raid that brought Maduro to the United States for trial, according to Al Jazeera and AP. Pollack said Wednesday that he will first seek to challenge the case on sovereign immunity grounds.
If that argument succeeds, Maduro would not have to continue fighting the case in court, Pollack said, according to the reports. Neither Maduro nor Flores has sought release on bail.
Hellerstein set the trial date at the request of lawyers for both the prosecution and defense, Al Jazeera and AP reported.
Charges carry potential life sentence
Maduro faces four counts, including narco-terrorism conspiracy and conspiracy to import cocaine, according to Al Jazeera and AP. If convicted, he could receive a life sentence.
The criminal case was first brought six years ago, and the Trump administration has framed the January attack as a “surgical law enforcement operation,” Al Jazeera and AP reported. The administration has frequently cited drug trafficking concerns as part of its policy approach toward countries in Latin America, according to Al Jazeera.
Venezuelan authorities said the US operation killed 83 people, Al Jazeera reported. The Venezuelan presidency has since been held by interim President Delcy Rodriguez, who has moved the country closer to US interests, according to Al Jazeera and AP.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.