Former Venezuelan President Maduro's criminal trial set for June 2025 in U.S.

A criminal trial for former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was extradited to the United States earlier this year, is scheduled to commence on June 1, 2025. The date was set during a pre-trial hearing at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, where Judge Alvin Hellerstein conferred with Maduro's defense and the prosecution.

Maduro, appearing in court in a beige uniform and using Spanish interpretation, was noted to have visibly lost weight. He occasionally made notes on a white pad during the 15-minute hearing. The former president and his wife, Cilia Flores, face charges including conspiracy to traffic narcotics. Maduro is accused of four charges, while Flores faces three, excluding the drug trafficking conspiracy.

The trial date, though provisional, follows a series of pre-trial procedures. Maduro's legal team is expected to file motions challenging the indictment starting in early September, with oral arguments scheduled for November 17. The judge's decision to set the main trial for next June suggests a significant number of legal issues need to be addressed beforehand, including the defense's argument for presidential immunity.

Maduro was arrested in Caracas on January 3 and transported to New York, where he is currently held in a federal detention center in Brooklyn. He has consistently denied all charges, asserting that his extradition was illegal and that he is innocent.

Both Maduro and Flores were extradited to the U.S. following a U.S. military operation in Venezuela. They are currently detained in New York, awaiting the legal proceedings that will determine their fate.