New York judge sets June 2027 for the start of Maduro and Cilia Flores's trial

MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Thursday, July 23rd 2026 - 07:34 UTC

Maduro, 63, is charged with conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism, cocaine importation, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices

Federal Judge Alvin Hellerstein set June 1, 2027, as the preliminary start date for the trial of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in the narcoterrorism case they face in the United States. The decision came on Wednesday during the case's third hearing before the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, which lasted only a few minutes.

Maduro, 63, is charged with conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism, cocaine importation, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices. Flores, 69, faces charges linked to drug importation and weapons possession. Both have pleaded not guilty to all counts and have been held at a federal prison in Brooklyn since January 3, when they were captured in Caracas during a US military operation.