Khaberni - A federal court in New York announced the postponement of the second session in the criminal case against former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Celia Flores, initially set for March 17, to March 26, due to planning and logistical coordination reasons.
According to court documents filed on Tuesday, the Southern District of New York's Attorney's Office requested the postponement, citing «issues with scheduling and logistical organization» without elaborating further. The defense agreed to the request, and it was approved by Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who presides over the hearings in this prominent case.
Maduro (63 years old) and his wife (69 years old) are expected to attend the new session at 11 AM New York time, which will continue preliminary procedures before the actual trial begins.
Accusations over the years
The judicial prosecution dates back to 2020 when the U.S. Department of Justice charged Maduro and several senior government officials with «drug terrorism», conspiring to smuggle massive quantities of cocaine into the United States, along with other charges including money laundering and conspiracy to import drugs.
The U.S. authorities estimate that Maduro's regime facilitated the transfer of hundreds of tons of cocaine through Venezuela with the aid of armed groups and militias.
However, the most dramatic development occurred on January 3 when U.S. forces executed a swift military operation in Caracas, resulting in the capture of Maduro and his wife and their transfer to New York. President Donald Trump described the operation as a «decisive blow against organized crime and dictatorship in the Western Hemisphere».
Maduro denies American accusations
In an initial session held on January 5, Maduro appeared before the court shackled in hands and feet, declared his refusal to accept the accusations, stating he is a «prisoner of war» and «still the legitimate president of Venezuela». Both he and his wife pleaded innocent to all charges. The judge then ordered their detention in the federal detention center in Brooklyn until the next session.
The case is regarded as one of the most complex political-criminal cases in the history of American-Latin American relations, amid international controversy over the legitimacy of the military operation that led to their capture, and its implications on the political situation in Venezuela, which entered a transitional phase after the fall of his regime.
