A US federal court has scheduled the trial of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on drug trafficking charges for June 1, 2027, as their legal team prepares to challenge both the indictment and the military operation that brought them to the United States.

Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein set the trial date on Wednesday after a request from both the prosecution and defence. Maduro and Flores, who have pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiring to traffic cocaine into the United States, could face life imprisonment if convicted.

Court Sets Timeline for Legal Challenge

Under the schedule approved by the court, defence lawyers will begin filing motions in early September challenging the indictment. Oral arguments are scheduled for November 17.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, remained silent as they sat separately at defence tables alongside their legal teams.

Maduro, wearing a tan jail uniform and glasses, greeted court staff and shook hands with lawyers before the hearing. He listened to proceedings through a Spanish interpreter, took notes during the hearing and waved towards the gallery as deputy US marshals escorted him out of the courtroom.

Defence to Challenge Arrest and Indictment

Maduro and Flores have been held in a Brooklyn jail since early January, when US forces removed them from their residence in Caracas during a late-night operation and transported them to New York.

The Trump administration has described the operation as a “surgical law enforcement operation” carried out in connection with a criminal case first filed six years ago.

Maduro has rejected that characterisation, describing himself as a prisoner of war and alleging that his capture amounted to a kidnapping.

Prosecutors allege that Maduro participated in a conspiracy to transport thousands of tonnes of cocaine into the United States by working with Venezuelan law enforcement officials to assist drug trafficking networks.

At his January arraignment, Maduro pleaded not guilty, stating in Spanish, “I am not guilty. I am a decent man, the constitutional president of my country.”

Sovereign Immunity Argument to Be Raised

Maduro’s lawyer, Barry Pollack, told the court that the defence would first seek dismissal of the indictment on sovereign immunity grounds.

Pollack argued that if the court accepted that challenge, Maduro would not need to continue defending the criminal case. Defence lawyers have maintained that several complex legal questions must be resolved before the matter proceeds to trial.

Neither Maduro nor Flores has applied for bail.

Trial Scheduled for June 2027

The case will now move into the pre-trial phase, with defence motions due in September and oral arguments set for November.

Unless the court dismisses the charges or alters the schedule, the trial of Maduro and Flores is expected to begin in New York on June 1, 2027.

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