A United States judge has set a trial date for former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, both abducted from the South American country during a US military attack in January 2026.

Judge Alvin Hellerstein set the trial date for June 1, 2027. Both Maduro and Flores have pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges while denying the basic legitimacy of the trial.

Neither spoke during the 15-minute court hearing. The administration of US President Donald Trump has justified its military raid on Caracas and the abduction of the couple, widely termed illegal by international legal scholars, by alleging that Maduro was part of a conspiracy to traffic cocaine to the US.

Maduro's lawyer, Barry Pollack, stated he expects to challenge the legality of the military raid. He said he would first challenge the case on grounds of sovereign immunity, which, if successful, would mean Maduro no longer has to litigate the case.

Maduro faces four counts, including "narco-terrorism" conspiracy and cocaine importation conspiracy, and could face life in prison if convicted. The Trump administration has often used drug trafficking concerns to assert influence across Latin America.

Source: www.aljazeera.com