Overview
- Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores attended a pretrial case-management hearing in Manhattan on Wednesday to address classified evidence, pretrial motions and the organization of proof for the U.S. narcoterrorism and drug charges against them.
- Federal prosecutors and defense lawyers jointly proposed a trial start in June 2027 and laid out a schedule for exchanging evidence between late 2026 and early 2027 to prepare for that window.
- The defense plans to challenge the January 3 capture in Caracas and argue head‑of‑state or diplomatic immunity as grounds to dismiss or limit the U.S. prosecution.
- Separately, the U.S. Department of State has asked the Justice Department to seek judicial immunity for interim president Delcy Rodríguez in a Florida civil suit that awarded $314 million against Maduro and others but explicitly excluded Rodríguez after Washington recognized her.
- U.S. actions that affect the case include an April suspension of sanctions rules to let Venezuela pay defense fees and court decisions and security logistics that have already delayed hearings and will shape how the long, complex trial proceeds.