The third judicial hearing against Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores will not take place on June 30 as originally scheduled: federal judge Alvin K. Hellerstein accepted on Wednesday to postpone it until July 22, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. (Eastern Time), following a request made by the Prosecutor's Office with the support of the defense.
The petition was signed by federal prosecutor Jay Clayton of the Southern District of New York, who argued the need to avoid “scheduling and logistics issues related to the provision of secure transportation and safety measures.”
The World Cup, Behind the Postponement
The specific reason that complicates logistics is the 2026 World Cup: the New York and New Jersey region will host eight matches at MetLife Stadium, including the final scheduled for July 19, resulting in an unprecedented operational and security deployment in the city.
On June 30, the original date of the hearing, coincided with one of the rounds of the tournament in the same stadium, which would have made it difficult to safely transport the defendants from the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center, where they have been held for more than 160 days.
The government also requested that the period between June 30 and July 22 be excluded from the counting established by the United States Fast Track Law, a request that Judge Hellerstein also accepted.
This exclusion is procedurally relevant: it prevents the defense from alleging noncompliance with deadlines during that interval.
Extra time for tests and motions
Beyond the logistics, the Prosecutor's Office indicated that the additional time will allow them to continue providing evidence to the defense attorneys, who in turn need to examine the evidence to determine what pre-trial motions they will file.
This third hearing will also be the first in which Maduro's strengthened legal team will fully participate, having incorporated criminal lawyer Anna Estevao from the firm Harris Trzaskoma LLP on June 4.
Estevao is known for having been part of the defense team for rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs, where she contributed to achieving the acquittal of the most serious charges. According to her own law firm, the attorney "develops innovative and cutting-edge legal arguments that often lead to positive outcomes, such as the complete dismissal of charges."
This adds to the lead attorney Barry Pollack, known for representing Julian Assange in the WikiLeaks case. The updates in Maduro's legal team had generated anticipation regarding the direction the defense would take in this pre-trial phase.
The case from the beginning
Maduro and Flores were captured in Caracas on January 3, 2026 during a military operation ordered by President Donald Trump and transferred to New York, where they face charges of narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and related weapons offenses.
Both declared their innocence during their first appearance before Judge Hellerstein on January 5, 2026. Maduro refers to himself as a "prisoner of war."
The second hearing, held on March 26, addressed the Prosecutor's request to prohibit the defendants from sharing evidence with co-defendants who remain at large, and gathered hundreds of Venezuelans outside the court demanding justice.
Meanwhile, in March 2026, the United States opened a second criminal investigation against Maduro in Miami, focused on money laundering, with Álex Saab -deported from Venezuela on May 16, 2026- as the central figure.
The next court appointment is set for Wednesday, July 22, five days after the World Cup final, when the process will enter a crucial phase to define the motions that will pave the way for the trial.
Filed under: