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Former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro was set to appear in a New York court Wednesday for his third public hearing since U.S. forces captured him and his wife, Cilia Flores, in Venezuela in January. Prosecutors and defense lawyers have proposed a June 2027 trial date in their narco-terrorism and drug trafficking case.
Maduro, 63, and Flores have been held in a Brooklyn jail since the Jan. 3 U.S. military operation. Wednesday’s hearing was expected to focus largely on procedural matters.
Federal prosecutors and lawyers for the couple outlined a proposed timetable covering pretrial motions, classified evidence and the trial in a court filing Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein could approve the schedule during the hearing, ABC News reported.
Both sides reserved the right to seek a delay, while prosecutors said the timetable could change if issues arise involving classified evidence.
Under the proposed timeline, Maduro’s motion claiming sovereign immunity would be filed by September, with arguments scheduled for November. Other defense motions would be due in January.
Prosecutors said they had already provided most of the non-classified evidence and expected to turn over most classified materials by November.
Maduro and Flores last appeared in court in March, when their lawyers sought to dismiss the case after U.S. sanctions prevented Venezuela from paying their legal fees.
The request was later withdrawn after the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control allowed the couple to receive Venezuelan funds for their defense.
The couple had argued that blocking the payments violated their constitutional right to legal counsel of their choice.
Maduro has pleaded not guilty to four charges: narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.
Prosecutors allege that Maduro and Flores worked with drug cartels to move thousands of tons of cocaine into the United States.
Maduro has described himself as a “prisoner of war” and maintained that he remains Venezuela’s legitimate president.
“I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man. I am still president of my country,” he said during his January arraignment.
U.S. commandos captured Maduro and Flores at their compound in Caracas on Jan. 3 during an operation involving naval, air and ground forces.
The operation removed Maduro, who had led Venezuela since 2013, from power and brought the couple to the U.S. to face criminal charges.
Venezuela is now led by Maduro’s former vice president, Delcy Rodriguez.
The United States effectively controls the country’s oil exports, with proceeds deposited into special accounts overseen by Washington.
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