NEW YORK — Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and prosecutors with the U.S. Justice Department have jointly proposed a June 2027 start date for Maduro’s federal criminal trial on drug trafficking charges, according to a court filing submitted on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.
The joint proposal was filed ahead of a scheduled hearing on Wednesday in Manhattan federal court before U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who holds the ultimate authority to establish the trial schedule. The filing outlines a preliminary timeline for one of the most high-profile and unprecedented international criminal cases in recent U.S. history. Both parties noted in the document that they may seek future adjustments to the schedule as the case progresses.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured by U.S. Special Forces during a nighttime raid in Caracas in January 2026 and subsequently flown to New York to face charges. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty to the drug trafficking allegations and are currently being held at a federal detention facility in Brooklyn.
According to the proposed schedule, Maduro’s defense team plans to submit a first round of legal motions to dismiss the case by September 2, 2026. This initial phase is expected to include a motion arguing that Maduro should be immune from prosecution as the head of a sovereign state. A second round of legal motions is proposed for January 11, 2027, following the prosecution’s disclosure of classified evidence for the defense’s review.
Maduro, a socialist leader who governed Venezuela from 2013 until his capture, has maintained a highly antagonistic relationship with Washington. During his initial court appearance on January 5, 2026, he characterized himself as a “prisoner of war” and accused the United States of orchestrating his ouster to seize control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
The U.S. government, which ceased recognizing Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate president in 2019, has long labeled him a corrupt dictator. Washington accuses his administration of economic mismanagement leading to national collapse and alleges he rigged the presidential elections in both 2018 and 2024.