EXCLUSIVE: Captured Venezuelan Leader Nicolás Maduro Prepares Immunity Fight as Feds Push Case Toward 2027 Trial

Nicolás Maduro's narcoterrorism federal trial is set to begin in mid-2027, and RadarOnline.com has learned just how the disgraced former leader of Venezuela plans to defend himself.

Maduro has already pleaded not guilty to several drug-related charges after the despot and his wife were captured during a daring nighttime U.S. military operation in the oil-rich nation.

In a formal letter obtained by Radar, both Maduro's attorneys and the U.S. Department of Justice agreed to start the trial on Tuesday, June 1, 2027.

That's only after a lengthy pre-trial process as early as this September that will include two separate rounds of evidence discovery, along with each round's accompanying period of objections and replies.

The letter also provides a clue to 63-year-old Maduro's defense strategy, suggesting he plans to claim immunity from prosecution.

"The parties agree that the defendants’ pretrial motions should be bifurcated into two rounds of briefing," the letter reads. "A first round of motions filed prior to the Government’s completion of discovery, including the defendants' anticipated motion claiming immunity in this case.

"And a second round of motions, following the Government’s completion of discovery, for any of the defendants’ additional pretrial motions."

According to legal experts, the immunity fight could make its way all the way up to the Supreme Court.

Though U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has repeatedly said that Maduro was not the legitimate president of Venezuela, the U.S. government subsequently turned the country over to Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro's vice president, who now leads Venezuela.

Maduro's attorney could argue that in legitimizing Rodríguez, the Trump administration has shown Maduro to have been legitimate in his own right.

If those arguments fail, Maduro is expected to challenge the details of an indictment that accuses him of corrupting Venezuela’s government and using it to export cocaine on a global scale. Maduro’s lawyers are expected to present those arguments, if necessary, early next year.

Maduro faces four felony counts, including a narcoterrorism conspiracy and a cocaine importation conspiracy. He could face a life sentence if convicted.

As Radar reported, just days after the new year began, President Trump ordered what he described as a "large-scale air strike" on Caracas, Venezuela, with at least seven explosions reported around 2 a.m. ET. Roughly two hours later, Trump announced on Truth Social that Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, 69, had been captured.

"The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country," Trump wrote at the time.

Trump later shared a photo of a captured Maduro aboard the USS Iwo Jima. The image, shared on Trump's Truth Social account, showed Maduro wearing a sweatshirt and sweatpants, with what appeared to be headphones and dark glasses placed over his eyes. He was holding a water bottle and looked to be handcuffed.

Maduro made his first court appearance on January 5, shaking hands with his lawyer before taking a seat. His wife was led to her seat immediately afterward. Both put on headsets to hear the proceedings as they are translated.

Appearing before Judge Alvin Hellerstein, Maduro defiantly said in Spanish: "I am not guilty, I am a decent man. I am still the president of my country."