This report is based on contributions from Al Jazeera staff and The Associated Press.

The case stems from a US indictment unsealed years ago accusing Maduro of leading a drug trafficking conspiracy.

Published On 22 Jul 202622 Jul 2026

A US judge has scheduled a trial for Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, who were captured in a US military operation in Venezuela in January 2026.

On Wednesday, Judge Alvin Hellerstein set a trial date of June 1, 2027. Both defendants have entered not guilty pleas to drug trafficking charges and are challenging the trial's legitimacy.

Neither spoke during the 15-minute court hearing. The administration of US President Donald Trump has justified its military raid on Caracas in January and its abduction of the couple, widely termed illegal by international legal scholars, by alleging that Maduro was part of a conspiracy to traffic cocaine to the US in his capacity as head of state.

“I am not guilty. I am a decent man, the constitutional president of my country,” Maduro said in his arraignment in January.

Defense attorney Barry Pollack indicated he plans to contest the legality of the military operation that brought Maduro to the US. On Wednesday, he said he will initially argue sovereign immunity, which if granted would dismiss the case.

Neither Maduro nor Flores has asked to be released on bail, and Judge Hellerstein set next year’s trial date at the request of attorneys from both sides.

Maduro faces four counts, including “narco-terrorism” conspiracy and cocaine importation conspiracy, and could face life in prison if convicted. The Trump administration has often used concerns about drug trafficking to assert its influence in countries across Latin America.

The Trump administration has called the attack on Venezuela, which Venezuelan authorities say killed 83 people, a “surgical law enforcement operation” in a criminal case first put forward six years ago.

The Venezuelan presidency has since been filled by interim President Delcy Rodriguez, who has aligned the country more closely with US interests.

The trial date comes amid ongoing controversy over the US military's role in capturing the former head of state. International legal experts have widely condemned the operation as illegal. The Trump administration has characterized it as a law enforcement action. Maduro's defense is expected to focus on sovereign immunity. A conviction could result in life imprisonment.