Overview
- Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores remain in federal custody in Brooklyn and have pleaded not guilty to a multi‑count indictment charging narco‑terrorism, drug smuggling and money laundering.
- On Wednesday, Maduro's lawyers filed a formal motion asking a federal judge to dismiss the indictment on the ground that he is immune as a serving head of state and that his January capture was an unlawful abduction.
- The defense argues U.S. nonrecognition of Maduro since 2019 should not strip him of immunity and cites past cases such as Manuel Noriega to press their novel legal claim.
- The Justice Department is expected to file its response next month, and Judge Alvin Hellerstein's pretrial rulings on immunity will shape whether the June 2027 trial proceeds or triggers appeals.
- Unverified prison photos posted to Maduro's social accounts have circulated as he maintains defiance, and the case carries wider diplomatic consequences by testing U.S. use of covert operations and recognition policy.