US judge sets 2027 trial date for Venezuela’s Maduro and wife

Former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores face a trial scheduled for June 1, 2027, in a US federal court. Judge Alvin Hellerstein established the date following a brief hearing in which neither defendant spoke. Both have entered not guilty pleas to drug trafficking charges and have contested the fundamental validity of the proceedings against them.

The Trump administration justified a January 2026 military operation in Caracas that resulted in the couple's capture by asserting that Maduro orchestrated a cocaine trafficking conspiracy while serving as head of state. International legal scholars have widely characterized the abduction as unlawful. Maduro has maintained his innocence, stating during his January arraignment that he is a decent man and Venezuela's constitutional president.

Maduro's attorney, Barry Pollack, indicated plans to challenge the legality of the military raid on grounds of sovereign immunity, a defense that could potentially end the case if upheld. The defendant faces four counts, including narco-terrorism conspiracy and cocaine importation conspiracy, with a potential life sentence upon conviction. Neither Maduro nor Flores sought bail release, and both sides requested the 2027 trial date.

The Trump administration has characterized the operation, which Venezuelan authorities claim resulted in 83 deaths, as a surgical law enforcement action tied to a criminal case initiated six years prior. Interim President Delcy Rodriguez now leads Venezuela and has shifted the country's alignment toward US interests.