Nicolás Maduro in court as judge sets drug trafficking trial date

Deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, will go on trial June 1, 2027, as they fight drug trafficking charges, a federal judge announced at a July 22 court hearing in New York City.

The ousted former president of Venezuela is facing charges that he helped others transport thousands of tons of cocaine into the United States as part of a narco-terrorism conspiracy, and that he also committed other drug- and gun-related crimes. U.S. military forces removed him from Venezuela in early January and brought him to New York to answer the charges. If convicted, he could be incarcerated for decades.

Maduro, who has pleaded not guilty, said during a Jan. 5 court appearance that he was both innocent and "still president of my country." Maduro's vice president at the time of his capture, Delcy Rodríguez, is leading Venezuela. The Trump administration has a better relationship with her.

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The U.S. forces also captured Flores in the January operation. A grand jury indicted her on the same drug- and gun-related charges as her husband, apart from the narco-terrorism conspiracy charge he faces. They both face charges that they conspired with others to import cocaine into the U.S. over approximately a quarter-century, from about 1999 to about 2025. Flores has also pleaded not guilty.

At the July 22 hearing, U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein set trial for Maduro and Flores on June 1, 2027.

Prosecutors said in a July 21 court filing that they had jointly agreed with Maduro to request a June 2027 trial date at the hearing the following day, and on deadlines beginning in September for Maduro to file motions challenging the case and for prosecutors to provide him with relevant case documents.

Maduro's lawyer, Barry Pollack, has previously said the defense team will be arguing their client is immune from criminal charges as the head of a foreign government.

Contributing: Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nicolás Maduro in court as judge sets drug trafficking trial date