Overview
- A joint filing from prosecutors and defense lawyers led U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein to fix the trial start for June 1, 2027 at a hearing held Wednesday.
- The schedule requires the defense to file immunity and other motions in September, an oral argument on immunity on November 17, and the turnover of most classified material by November.
- Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores remain in custody in Brooklyn, have pleaded not guilty to narco-terrorism, cocaine importation and weapons charges, and face possible life sentences if convicted.
- Defense lawyers plan to press sovereign (head-of-state) immunity and to challenge the legality of the U.S. January capture, a line of attack that could dismiss or delay the prosecution.
- The case intersects with U.S.-Venezuela policy shifts since January, including an OFAC change allowing Venezuelan funds for legal fees, and could have broader diplomatic and sanctions implications depending on court outcomes.