New York, USA – Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is scheduled to stand trial in the United States in June 2027 on serious charges of drug trafficking and conspiracy to commit acts classified as “narco-terrorism.” This date was set according to a timetable proposed jointly by the prosecution and defense team to the federal judge presiding over the case. The procedural plan was outlined in a formal letter submitted by federal prosecutors in Manhattan on Tuesday evening. It also includes a detailed schedule for the transfer of evidence from the US government to Maduro’s defense team. Furthermore, the plan includes two rounds of preliminary motions in which the defense will request the dismissal of the charges or the restriction of the evidence that can be used against him at trial. Additionally, the prosecution has requested permission to use classified evidence during the proceedings, according to Bloomberg.
The prosecution’s position and Maduro and his wife’s denial of the accusations
US prosecutors allege that Maduro, who was detained by the US military in an operation on January 3, played a key and central role in a large-scale cocaine smuggling conspiracy into the United States. Nicolás Maduro, 63, denies all these charges outright. He maintains that his detention was illegal and invalid. His wife, Cilia Flores, 69, faces similar charges. Both have formally pleaded not guilty in court.
Complex legal memoranda and claims of sovereign immunity
Prosecutors and defense attorneys are scheduled to brief U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein at a preliminary hearing in New York on Wednesday, outlining the latest developments in the case and the progress of preparations. Maduro’s lawyers informed the judge in January that they expected to submit “massive and complex” legal briefs. A key argument in these briefs is that Maduro enjoys absolute immunity from prosecution as the former president of a sovereign state.
The case, officially known in court records as United States v. Maduro, is case number 11-cr-00205 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan. Maduro faces four major criminal charges, including conspiracy to traffic narcotics. This charge criminalizes activities that contribute to financing acts that Washington considers terrorism. It is worth noting that this law has rarely been applied in previous federal trials. In some cases, two out of four convictions were overturned due to issues with witness credibility.
In the same vein, Maduro rejected all these accusations, along with allegations of his involvement in drug trafficking networks, describing them as mere pretexts for what he considered a premeditated American desire to control the vast oil reserves of the OPEC member state. It is worth noting that relations between Caracas and Washington have witnessed a marked improvement since Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s vice president, assumed the role of interim president following his arrest.
