Nicolas Maduro appears in court for US drug trafficking case hearing

Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro appeared in a New York court on Wednesday for a pre-trial hearing in a drug trafficking case. Prosecutors and defense lawyers have proposed a June 2027 trial date, which Judge Alvin Hellerstein could confirm. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been held in a Brooklyn jail since their capture in January and have pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiring to send thousands of tonnes of cocaine into the United States. The US has permitted Venezuela to pay for their legal defense, a move previously prohibited under sanctions. Maduro has described himself as a "prisoner of war" and his capture as a kidnapping, while prosecutors allege he colluded with Venezuelan law enforcement officials to assist drug kingpins. Maduro's lawyer, Barry Pollack, stated he expects to contest the legality of Maduro's "military abduction."