Maduro and Cilia Flores will be tried in the USA. US for drug trafficking as of June 1, 2027

Former Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, will be tried in the United States on charges related to drug trafficking starting on June 1, 2027, as determined this Wednesday by federal judge Alvin Hellerstein in a court in Manhattan. The decision makes the process one of the criminal cases with the greatest international impact in recent decades against a former head of state.

Both appeared on July 22, 2026 before the federal court in southern New York, several months after being captured in Caracas during an operation carried out by US special forces – including members of the Delta Force – and ordered by President Donald Trump. Since then they remain in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

What happened at the hearing

According to witnesses cited by the Associated Press and ABC News, the hearing lasted about 15 minutes. Maduro entered without handcuffs, dressed in the beige prison uniform and sneakers, greeted in English with a "good morning" and sat at the defense table next to his lawyer Barry Pollack. Flores occupied a separate table with his lawyer Mark Donnelly. Neither of them spoke during the session; They listened to the Spanish interpretation through headphones.

Judge Hellerstein accepted the calendar proposed jointly by the prosecutor's office for the southern district of New York and the defense in a brief presented the day before. The defense will be able to present motions to challenge the accusation from early September 2026; On November 17 there will be oral arguments, with sovereign immunity as the central axis: Pollack warned that he will question whether a former head of state can be criminally prosecuted in US territory after his capture in Venezuela.

At the end, Maduro took notes in a notebook, met briefly with his lawyers and waved to someone in the gallery before being escorted away by federal marshals, according to the AP report. The BBC describes a packed courtroom: dozens of people queued for hours to witness the hearing.

The charges and the context

The federal accusation, reactivated after the capture, maintains that Maduro and Flores conspired with Venezuelan cartels and officials to facilitate the shipment of thousands of tons of cocaine to the United States. Maduro faces four serious charges, including narcoterrorism conspiracy and conspiracy to import cocaine. The case does not include allegations of electoral fraud; focuses exclusively on drug trafficking, as ABC News highlights.

In his initial appearance on January 5, 2026, Maduro declared in Spanish: «I am not guilty. "I am a decent man, the constitutional president of my country." He has described his arrest as kidnapping and has defined himself as a prisoner of war. The Trump administration, in contrast, describes the January 3 operation as a surgical law enforcement mission to carry out a criminal prosecution initiated about six years ago.

Neither Maduro nor Flores have requested bail. In April, the Treasury Department allowed them to receive funds from Venezuela to pay their lawyers, prompting the defense to withdraw a previous motion alleging blocking legal remedies, according to Miami Herald.

Procedural calendar

• September 2026: Defense files motions to dismiss or limit case.
• November 17, 2026: oral hearing on sovereign immunity and other challenges.
• January 11, 2027: possible second round of motions after the delivery of classified evidence to the defense.
• June 1, 2027: start of jury trial in Manhattan (date subject to adjustment if either party requests it).

USA Today and NBC News recall that Venezuela is experiencing, in parallel, a humanitarian crisis after two earthquakes in June that left thousands dead, while Washington has resumed diplomatic contacts with the interim government of Delcy Rodríguez. Maduro's trial, however, will continue to be closely followed by Latin American governments, human rights organizations and the Venezuelan diaspora.

In summary

When? Trial on June 1, 2027. Where? Manhattan Federal Court. Why? Drug trafficking and narcoterrorism. Next step? Defense motions in September and hearing on November 17, 2026 on sovereign immunity. Risk? Life imprisonment if convicted.