The US has indicted Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores on charges of “drug terrorism,” among other things.Image: keystone
The trial of the long-time head of state of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, who was captured by the US military, is scheduled to begin on June 1, 2027 in New York.
July 23, 2026, 12:53 amJuly 23, 2026, 12:53 am
His lawyer Barry Pollack told the German Press Agency. Several US media also reported on a corresponding decision by the court. The public prosecutor’s office had previously requested that the trial begin in June.
Maduro had led his country in an authoritarian manner for years at the head of a socialist government. At the beginning of the year, he and his wife were captured by US special forces in a controversial operation in the Venezuelan capital Caracas. Critics described the action as a violation of international law.
What the USA accuses Maduro of
The US has indicted Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores on charges of “drug terrorism,” among other things. The 63-year-old is said to have used his office as president and previous positions in the government for years to enable the smuggling of thousands of tons of cocaine into the USA. The indictment also states that he sold diplomatic passports to drug traffickers, facilitated diplomatically disguised flights for drug money and protected drug transports. To achieve this, Maduro is said to have joined forces with drug traffickers and derived personal benefits from this.
Maduro and Flores have so far denied the allegations and in return accused the United States of kidnapping them. Maduro and his wife have been in custody in the New York borough of Brooklyn since their arrest.
Executive President of Venezuela cooperates with USA
Venezuela now has former Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as acting president, working with Washington on, among other things, oil issues. US President Donald Trump’s government wants to use the country’s large oil reserves for the benefit of the USA and now exerts considerable influence on the Venezuelan oil industry and politics. Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world.
The USA and numerous other countries no longer viewed Maduro as the legitimate head of state of Venezuela at least since the controversial presidential election in July 2024. Months before the US military operation in Caracas, the US military had repeatedly attacked boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific that were allegedly loaded with drugs. (sda/dpa)