Venezuela’s ousted leader Maduro back in US court

NEW YORK - Venezuela’s ousted president Nicolas Maduro is set to appear before a New York court on July 22, his third public hearing since the US military captured him in a stunning nighttime raid in January.The former leader, 63, and wife Cilia Flores have been held in a Brooklyn jail since the US military operation, awaiting trial on drug trafficking, firearms and other charges.American commandos snatched the pair from their compound in Caracas on Jan 3, in a lightning operation combining naval, air and ground forces that deposed the strongman who had led Venezuela since 2013.The hearing on July 22 is expected to largely focus on procedural matters.After a stand-off, the United States in April allowed Venezuela to pay for Maduro’s and Flores’s legal defence, something previously barred b