Reuters) – A judge on Wednesday set a June 1, 2027, trial date for ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores on U.S. drug trafficking charges, while a defense lawyer vowed to seek dismissal of the case on the grounds that Maduro is immune from prosecution as the head of a sovereign state.
Maduro and his wife, wearing beige prison garb, appeared during a hearing lasting about 20 minutes in Manhattan federal court before U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein in one of the most consequential criminal cases in recent U.S. history.
U.S. commandos captured Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, at their heavily guarded home in Caracas during a January 3 nighttime military raid ordered by President Donald Trump. They were brought to New York, where they previously had been indicted on charges of using their leadership positions in the oil-rich South American country to facilitate cocaine shipments.
They have pleaded not guilty.
In addition to scheduling the date for the trial to begin, Hellerstein set a September 2 deadline for Maduro’s first round of legal motions seeking to have the case dismissed, as well as a November 17 hearing for arguments over those motions. Defense lawyer Barry Pollack told the judge he would seek to dismiss the case on immunity grounds.
Maduro faces four felony counts including narcoterrorism conspiracy and cocaine importation conspiracy. He could face a life sentence if convicted.
In a court filing on Tuesday night, prosecutors with the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office and Maduro’s defense lawyers both had proposed a June 2027 start to the trial.
“The parties all agree that this is a realistic schedule. We don’t think it’s going to slip, but obviously if anything comes up we will inform your honor,” Pollack told the judge on Wednesday.
‘PRISONER OF WAR’
Maduro, a socialist who had an antagonistic relationship with the United States while leading Venezuela from 2013 until his capture, referred to himself as a “prisoner of war” during his first court appearance on January 5.
Maduro waved to someone — it was not clear who — in the courtroom’s gallery while being led out of the courtroom by U.S. marshals after Wednesday’s hearing.
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