Internet State

Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are seeking to have drug trafficking charges against them dismissed in a Manhattan federal court, citing immunity as the leader and first lady of a foreign country. They have been held in a Brooklyn jail since early January after being seized by U.S. forces, and both face potential life sentences as they are accused of being part of a conspiracy to smuggle thousands of tons of cocaine into the U.S. A trial is set for June 1, 2026, with oral arguments scheduled for November 17, 2026, regarding the motion to dismiss the indictment.

Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is seeking to have criminal drug trafficking charges against him dismissed, asserting he should be immune from prosecution as a head of state, with his legal team filing this appeal in Manhattan district court. Currently held in a Brooklyn federal jail, Maduro has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for trial on June 1, 2027, if his dismissal attempt fails; the last federal case involving a foreign head of state was that of Manuel Noriega in 1990, whose immunity claim was rejected. The U.S. stopped recognizing Maduro as Venezuela's legitimate president after his controversial 2018 election, and his former vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, has since taken over the interim leadership while enhancing cooperation with the U.S., including a recent deal regarding Venezuelan oil reserves.