Today, a hearing was held in a U.S. court in a drug trafficking case, where Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores appeared, reports UNN citing Sky News.
Judge Alvin Hellerstein set a trial date for the couple for June 1, 2027, and approved a schedule for considering pre-trial motions.
Maduro was dressed in a beige prison uniform, sneakers, and dark glasses as he was led into a Manhattan courtroom for another appearance in one of the most significant criminal cases in recent U.S. history.
Outside the courthouse, his supporters condemned the charges as fabricated by the United States.
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The couple was dramatically captured by U.S. special forces at their home in Caracas, Venezuela, during a nighttime raid on January 3, carried out on the orders of U.S. President Donald Trump.
63-year-old Maduro and 69-year-old Flores were brought to New York, where they pleaded not guilty to using their leadership positions in the oil-rich American country to facilitate cocaine shipments.
The charges included conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and possession of machine guns and explosive devices.
Neither of them spoke at the hearing on Wednesday, and each sat separately at the defense table, surrounded by their lawyers.
They face life in prison if jurors find them involved in a conspiracy to smuggle thousands of tons of cocaine into the United States.
Prosecutors allege that Maduro began a conspiracy with Venezuelan law enforcement agencies to help drug lords.
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