A federal judge set June 1 2027 as the start date for the drug trafficking trial of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.
Judge Alvin Hellerstein announced the date on July 22 after a brief hearing at the federal court in Manhattan. Maduro appeared in prison uniform and was escorted by marshals.
The defendants face charges of conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism and to import cocaine into the United States. Both deny the accusations and could receive life sentences if convicted.
Maduro and Flores have been held in a Brooklyn prison since January. The defense plans to file motions on immunity and the legality of their capture, with a hearing scheduled for November 17.
