Venezuela's Maduro, US propose June 2027 start for drug trafficking trial

Ousted ​Venezuelan President ​Nicolas Maduro and prosecutors ​with the U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday proposed a June 2027 start ‌date ⁠for ⁠Maduro's U.S. criminal trial on ​drug trafficking charges.

The joint proposal came in ​a court filing ahead of a hearing in Maduro's ​case scheduled for ⁠Wednesday at ‌12 p.m. EDT (1600 ​GMT) ​in Manhattan federal ⁠court.

U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who ​is overseeing the case, ​must ultimately set the schedule. The parties said in the filing that they may seek changes to ‌the schedule.


U.S. Special Forces captured Maduro and his ​wife, ​Cilia Flores, in ⁠Caracas during a nighttime raid in January and brought them to ​New York to face the charges. They have pleaded not guilty.