The trial of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in the United States will begin in June 2027, a court ruled Wednesday, after he was arrested by the US military in a swift operation in Caracas earlier this year.

Maduro, 63, and his wife Cilia Flores, 69, have been held in a Brooklyn prison for more than seven months after pleading not guilty to federal charges of drug trafficking and firearms possession. They were arrested by US special forces at their compound in Caracas on January 3. The operation involved joint naval, air, and ground forces that ousted the president, who had led Venezuela since 2013.

During a roughly 20-minute hearing, Judge Alvin Hellerstein set a trial date for June 1, 2027, based on a joint request from the prosecution and defense. He also scheduled a hearing on November 17 to consider motions filed by the defense, including challenges to the legality of how Maduro and Flores were apprehended.

Maduro, who wore a beige prison uniform and glasses, did not speak during his third appearance before a US court, only greeting the court as he entered the room. Flores, wearing the same uniform with her hair tied back, sat a few meters away, surrounded by their lawyers.

Protesters gathered outside the courthouse in Manhattan, holding signs reading 'Freedom for President Maduro' and waving Venezuelan flags, while counter-protesters displayed signs calling Maduro and Flores 'dictators'.

Maduro has declared himself a 'prisoner of war' and denied the four charges against him: conspiracy for 'drug-related terrorism,' conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices. Since his arrest, his former vice president and ally Delcy Rodriguez has been serving as acting president of Venezuela, while the United States has taken control of the country's oil exports, with revenues being transferred to special accounts overseen by Washington.

Legal battles

According to the US prosecution, Maduro used his position to cover up drug trafficking operations and allied with cartels to smuggle tons of cocaine into the United States. Maduro is being tried on four charges, including drug-related terrorism, while his wife faces three charges. Both deny the allegations.

In April, the United States allowed Venezuela to pay for the legal defense of Maduro and Flores, which had previously been prohibited under US sanctions. This came after the couple sought to have their case dismissed, arguing that barring funding for their legal defense violated the US constitutional right to choose defense counsel.

Maduro also faces a civil case in the United States after families of five young men killed in Venezuela alleged that he ordered their extrajudicial killings as part of a broader pattern of state violence. The complaint filed last month stated that Maduro operated an elite security force called 'Special Action Forces,' which executed people between 2017 and 2020.

It adds that the victims were among thousands of people killed under Maduro's rule by units including the 'Special Action Forces,' which was disbanded after complaints of human rights violations, including from the United Nations.

During his presidential term from 2013 to 2026, Maduro was widely accused of using political repression to cling to power. Several countries, including the United States, rejected the results of the 2018 and 2024 elections in which he was re-elected, considering them fraudulent.

Maduro is expected to seek immunity in the civil proceedings due to his status as a head of state, according to The New York Times.