U.S. Prosecutors Ask Court to Move Maduro Hearing to July 22

Overview

• Federal prosecutors filed a joint request with the defense to move the June 30 status hearing to July 22 so authorities can arrange secure transport and courthouse security for Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores.
• The filing, signed by prosecutor Jay Clayton, asks the judge to exclude the period from Speedy Trial Act calculations to give the defense more time to receive and review evidence and to consider pretrial motions.
• Maduro and Flores remain detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn after their transfer from Caracas in early January and have pleaded not guilty to charges including narcoterrorism, drug conspiracy, money laundering and weapons offenses.
• The court previously approved limited OFAC license changes allowing the Venezuelan government to fund legal fees but barred defense counsel from sharing discovery with unindicted or at-large co‑defendants.
• Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein must formally approve any schedule change and his rulings on the hearing date, evidence access and funding restrictions will shape how and when the case moves toward trial.