Nicolas Maduro's drug trial set for June 2027 in New York

NEW YORK – The trial for former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, accused of drug trafficking and narco-terrorism, has been scheduled to commence on June 1, 2027, in New York. The date was set during a preparatory hearing following Maduro's arrest and detention in the United States since January.

Maduro, 63, faces four charges, including narco-terrorism, while his wife, Cilia Flores, 69, is facing three charges. Both have pleaded not guilty to the accusations leveled against them. The U.S. government has granted approval for Venezuela to cover the legal fees for Maduro and Flores, a decision that reverses an earlier stance influenced by international sanctions against the country.

Maduro was apprehended in Caracas in a significant U.S. military operation and has since been held in a Brooklyn prison. Upon his capture, he declared himself a "prisoner of war." In addition to the criminal proceedings, families of five young men killed in Venezuela have filed a civil lawsuit against Maduro, accusing him of ordering their executions as part of a broader state-sponsored violence campaign.

Since Maduro's departure, interim President Delcy Rodriguez has assumed leadership, governing under pressure from Washington, which asserts its influence over the oil-rich nation.

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a prisoner of war