Maduro appears in New York court amid legal funding dispute
Venezuelan ex-president and wife face drug trafficking charges; defense argues U.S. blocking access to government funds for legal representation.
6:20 PM
Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores appeared Thursday in federal court in Lower Manhattan for a hearing on drug trafficking and arms trafficking charges, with a central dispute over who should pay for their legal defense.
Judge Alvin Hellerstein presided over the hearing, which began around 11:45 a.m. local time at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Maduro and Flores sat alongside their legal team, wearing headphones to listen to simultaneous translation of the proceedings.
The hearing centered on a geopolitical disagreement regarding legal fees. Barry Pollack, one of Maduro's attorneys, told the court that his clients lack sufficient personal resources to pay for private defense counsel given the case's complexity. Pollack asserted that Maduro and Flores "have every right to use" funds from the Venezuelan government to cover their legal costs.
According to Pollack, "The government of Venezuela, in virtue of its laws, has the obligation to pay the defense expenses of Mr. Maduro," as reported by BBC Mundo. He further argued to the judge that the United States was interfering with his clients' constitutional right to adequate defense by preventing access to Venezuelan government funds.
Judge Hellerstein questioned the U.S. government's motives for blocking Maduro and Flores from using Venezuelan state funds for their legal representation, according to Reuters.
Venezuelan interim president Delcy Rodríguez has stated that Maduro is considered by Caracas to be the sitting president and therefore entitled to official coverage for legal proceedings of this nature.
This marks Maduro and Flores' second court appearance since their capture on January 3, 2026. At their previous hearing in January, both entered not guilty pleas to the charges of narcoterrorism and arms trafficking. The court hearing Thursday was expected to potentially establish a trial date, with both the defense and prosecution analyzing evidence and discussing the procedural schedule.
Maduro, 63, appeared noticeably thinner than at his previous public appearance 80 days earlier, wearing a beige prison uniform over an orange shirt and sneakers, without restraints. Flores also appeared in court alongside her husband.