Nicolás Maduro’s trial to start in June 2027, judge says

By JONAH E. BROMWICH

The federal judge presiding over the case of Nicolás Maduro last week set a June 2027 trial date for the captured Venezuelan leader, introducing some deadlines into a high-profile case that has proceeded slowly.

The judge, Alvin Hellerstein, set the June 1 trial date after prosecutors and lawyers for Maduro said Tuesday evening that they had agreed to it, ahead of a Wednesday court appearance.

Like all trial dates set far in advance, the schedule is tentative and could be subject to changes, particularly if Maduro’s challenges to his case are evaluated by higher courts.

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized from a Caracas, Venezuela, compound in a U.S. military operation in January. They have pleaded not guilty to conspiracies to commit narco-terrorism and import cocaine, along with other counts. It is unclear whether other charges will be brought.

Hellerstein consented Wednesday to the lawyers’ request to have the pretrial proceedings take place in two stages. First, Maduro is expected to contest the notion that he can even be prosecuted by the U.S. government, claiming sovereign immunity that would not require him to litigate the case further.

As his lawyer, Barry Pollack, explained in court Wednesday, if that argument or others along the same lines were successful, Maduro would not have to challenge the particulars of the prosecution.

Pollack had previously said Maduro would also challenge the legality of his extraordinary capture and argue that he has immunity as a head of state.

The latter argument is likely to be particularly compelling and could eventually reach the Supreme Court. Though U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has repeatedly said that Maduro was not the legitimate president of Venezuela, the U.S. government — and Rubio personally — have empowered Delcy Rodríguez, who was Maduro’s vice president and now leads Venezuela.

Pollack may argue that in legitimizing Rodríguez, the Trump administration has shown Maduro to have been legitimate in his own right.

If those arguments fail, Maduro is expected to challenge the details of an indictment that accuses him of corrupting Venezuela’s government and using it to export cocaine on a global scale. Maduro’s lawyers are expected to present those arguments, if necessary, early next year.

Maduro appeared wearing a khaki jumpsuit and shook hands with his lawyers before putting on the headphones that allowed him to hear translations of what, for him, was a foreign court proceeding. The appearance was a brisk 15 minutes, and he left the courtroom with a quick wave to the gallery.

Wednesday marked his first courtroom appearance since March. While the Venezuelan leader still draws a crowd inside and outside the courthouse, his months in detention appeared to have somewhat diminished public interest.