Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro appears this Thursday, March 26, 2026, before the U.S. justice system in what marks his second hearing since his capture at the beginning of the year. Maduro remains confined in a federal detention center in Brooklyn awaiting the development of the judicial process. It is worth noting that the operation left dozens dead and injured, according to official reports, which has intensified the debate over its legal and geopolitical implications. Following his capture, Delcy Rodríguez assumed as interim president of Venezuela and has promoted a rapprochement with the United States. The hearing will take place at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan, one of the most relevant courts in the U.S. judicial system, and the case is in the hands of federal judge Alvin Hellerstein. Hours in advance, dozens of people have gathered around the courthouse trying to enter, amidst strong security measures and limited access to the courtroom. The hearing is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. (local New York time), according to the court's docket. The judicial proceeding takes place in a context of high international attention, both due to the severity of the charges and the political and diplomatic implications of the case. The former head of state was arrested on January 3, 2026, in Caracas during a U.S. military operation, an event that generated international controversy due to its unusual nature. This means that in Mexico it will take place around 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. This is a key hearing in which it is expected that relevant procedural issues will be addressed, including disputes over the financing of the former president's legal defense. Maduro faces multiple charges in the United States, including conspiracy by narco-terrorism, cocaine trafficking, and weapons possession, according to judicial documents. U.S. authorities maintain that the former head of state would have collaborated with criminal networks to facilitate the shipment of drugs to U.S. territory, in a scheme that links state structures to illicit activities. During his first hearing, held last January 5, both Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty to all charges. The conflict over legal defense One of the central points of this hearing is the dispute over how Maduro's defense will be financed. His lawyer, Barry Pollack, argues that the U.S. government has violated his rights by preventing the use of Venezuelan state funds to cover his legal fees. However, the prosecution argues that due to the existing sanctions, it is not possible to use resources linked to the Venezuelan government, although it could resort to personal funds or a public defender.
