Maduro and his wife appear before a judge in New York: Roadmap for the case determined

A new phase has been reached in the criminal case being conducted in the US against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.

A status hearing for Maduro and Flores was held at the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. As a result of the hearing, the trial calendar was clarified, and the pre-trial process and the date for the start of the trial were determined.

In the hearing presided over by Federal Judge Alvin Hellerstein, the court decided that the case will begin on June 1, 2027. Maduro and his wife did not speak during the hearing, which lasted approximately 15 minutes, and both denied the charges against them.

The defense's first move will be an immunity request

According to the joint calendar submitted to the court, the defense side will submit its pre-trial motions by September 2, 2026. The most notable item among these motions is expected to be the immunity request based on Maduro's claim that "he cannot be tried in US courts due to his status as head of state." Following this motion by the defense, the US Department of Justice will submit its opinion to the court by October 2, 2026. The defense's response to this will be provided on October 16, 2026. The parties' first round of legal objections is planned to be addressed in an oral hearing to be held in November 2026.

Evidence sharing will be completed in two stages

According to the calendar accepted by the court, the government will deliver the majority of non-classified evidence to the defense side by September 22, 2026. Following this, it is aimed to share a significant portion of the classified documents considered under national security by November 15, 2026. However, the US Department of Justice informed the court that this process depends on the work of other federal agencies and that it may request a rescheduling of the calendar if delays occur. It was also stated that the sharing of classified documents could bring about new legal processes under the Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA).

Second round of motions will be made in 2027

According to the court calendar, the parties will carry out their second round of pre-trial motions after the completion of the first phase. While the defense is planned to submit its second-round motions on January 11, 2027, the government is expected to provide its response on February 18, 2027.

After the parties complete their final written statements on March 11, 2027, the government will make its motion under Section 4 of CIPA regarding classified information on the same day. Following the completion of this process, the case will begin to be heard before a jury on June 1, 2027.

Parties may request postponements

In the joint petition included in the court file, it was stated that the parties reserve their rights to request postponements for all determined dates. Furthermore, defense attorneys noted that they could request a postponement of the second-phase calendar if the court does not rule on objections regarding immunity or jurisdiction.

On the other hand, a group gathered outside the courthouse, unfurling anti-Maduro banners and chanting slogans against the former president.

Background of the case

The US is trying Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores on charges of international drug trafficking and "narcoterrorism." Brought to the US in a military operation conducted in Venezuela in January, Maduro and Flores are being held in custody while on trial at the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.

While the merits of the case were not discussed at today's status hearing, the legal process to be followed in the coming months and the trial calendar were finalized. The most critical phase of the case will be the immunity motion expected to be submitted by the defense in September. It is considered that the court's decision regarding this motion could directly affect the course of the case.