GUIDE
Where is Nicolás Maduro being held? Charges, court dates and case timeline
Summary as of September 24, 2026, with sources listed at the end. When the case moves, this page is updated and earlier events stay in the timeline.
Where he is
Nicolás Maduro has been in U.S. federal custody since January 3, 2026. According to press reports he is held at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, New York, a federal pre-trial facility. He was arraigned in the Southern District of New York on January 5, 2026 and pleaded not guilty. The case is before Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein.
The charges
They include narco-terrorism conspiracy and conspiracy to import cocaine, in a case the Southern District of New York had been building for years. His defense has said it will argue head-of-state immunity and challenge the legality of the capture.
Next dates
- November 17, 2026: court hearing, expected to address the immunity argument.
- June 1, 2027: scheduled start of trial.
Separately, Argentina formally requested his extradition in February 2026 on crimes-against-humanity charges; that request is unresolved.
Cilia Flores
His wife, Cilia Flores, is held at the same facility and is a co-defendant in the same case. Her request for house arrest has its own page, with its own timeline:
Diosdado Cabello and Vladimir Padrino López
Neither is in custody. Cabello remains in Venezuela and holds a government post; Padrino López was removed as Defense Minister in March 2026, and removed is not the same as detained. Both have open U.S. indictments.
Timeline
- Prosecutors oppose the house-arrest request of co-defendant Cilia Flores. El Diario NY
- At his third court appearance, the trial is set to begin June 1, 2027. Wikipedia (case summary)
- Another court appearance; returned to MDC Brooklyn. Wikipedia (case summary)
- Argentina requests his extradition from the U.S. on crimes-against-humanity charges. AP via U.S. News
- Arraigned in the Southern District of New York; pleads not guilty. Wikipedia (case summary)
- Captured together with Cilia Flores and flown to New York. Wikipedia (case summary)
You can write to him
Anyone can send mail to a federal facility, and it is opened and read before delivery. What decides whether a letter gets through is format: full legal name, register number, plain white paper, nothing attached. The practical guide covers it:
Sources
- Wikipedia · Prosecution of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores (summary with references)
- AP via U.S. News · Argentina requests Maduro’s extradition (Feb 4, 2026)
- El Diario NY · Prosecutors oppose releasing Cilia Flores (Sep 24, 2026, Spanish)
- BOP · Official inmate locator
Common questions
- What prison is Maduro in?
- Per public reporting, the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, New York, a federal pre-trial detention facility.
- When is Maduro’s trial?
- Trial is scheduled to begin June 1, 2027. There is a court hearing before that, on November 17, 2026.
- Is Diosdado Cabello in custody?
- No. As of September 24, 2026 he is not in any country’s custody; he has open U.S. indictments, which is a different thing.
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