Former Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro is set to return to a New York courtroom today, Thursday, March 26, 2026.
It marks the first time that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, will be in court since a January arraignment at which he protested his abduction by United States military forces and pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.
Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, remain jailed at a detention centre in Brooklyn. Neither has requested bail.
Maduro, who has led Venezuela since 2013, was abducted in Caracas by US special forces on January 3.
His lawyer contends that Washington is violating the deposed leader’s constitutional rights by blocking Venezuelan government funds from being used to pay his legal costs.
US prosecutors have accused Maduro and several alleged associates of “narco-terrorism” and plotting to traffic cocaine into the United States. If convicted, the charges could carry maximum penalties of life in prison under US law.
Congress created the narcoterrorism statute 20 years ago to target drug traffickers who finance activities the US considers “terrorism.” Since then, 83 people, including Maduro, have been charged with violating it.
Maduro is also accused of leading a conspiracy in which officials in his government helped move cocaine through Venezuela in collaboration with traffickers, including the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which Washington labelled a terrorist organisation from 1997 to 2021.
Maduro and his fellow indicted officials have always denied wrongdoing, saying the US charges are part of an imperialist plot to harm Venezuela.
Judge Alvin Hellerstein has yet to set a trial date, though that could potentially be announced at the hearing set for today.
Maduro Seeks To Have Charges Dismissed
Former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is set to ask a US federal judge to dismiss narco-terrorism charges, arguing that Washington has interfered with his ability to mount a legal defense.
Judge Alvin Hellerstein initially scheduled the hearing to allow lawyers for Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores to review the evidence, outline pretrial motions, and potentially set a trial timeline.
At the hearing, Maduro is expected to seek dismissal of the case amid a dispute over legal fees, as his lawyer Barry Pollack cannot receive payment from Venezuela without a US sanctions waiver that has yet to be granted.
Pollack said that the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control first approved and then revoked a license allowing Venezuela to pay his fees, noting that due to US sanctions on Maduro and the Venezuelan government, such payments require official authorization.
He also argued that the reversal violates Maduro’s constitutional right to a proper defense, a position also backed by Flores’ lawyer, adding that if the case is not dismissed, they are seeking a hearing to examine the government’s decision-making.
Prosecutors said that the license had been issued in error and later revoked, adding that Maduro and his wife are still allowed to use their personal funds in Venezuela to cover legal costs.
Lawyers said Maduro faces slim chances of accessing funds for his defense, though he is entitled to a court-appointed lawyer as he and his wife deny long-running drug and weapons charges while in US custody.
Pollack has indicated that he will also challenge the legality of Maduro’s arrest and argue he is immune from prosecution, claiming the alleged offenses occurred while he was serving as President.
The former Venezuelan President and his wife, Flores continue to enjoy some support in Venezuela, with murals and billboards across the capital, Caracas, demanding their return.
However, while Maduro’s ruling party remains in control, he himself has been gradually sidelined within the government led by acting President Delcy Rodriguez.
Rodriguez has removed key figures loyal to Maduro, including his longtime Defence Minister and Attorney General. She has also reshaped state institutions, named new ambassadors, and dismantled core elements of the self-declared socialist project that has governed Venezuela for more than 20 years.
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