Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is scheduled to appear in a Manhattan federal court in June, following a resolution that permits the Venezuelan government to fund his legal defense. This development concludes a protracted dispute over the financing of his representation in the United States.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were apprehended in Caracas on January 3, 2026, during a U.S. military operation. They were subsequently transported to New York to face charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy and cocaine importation conspiracy. Both have pleaded not guilty to these allegations.
Initially, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) had blocked the Venezuelan government from covering the couple’s legal fees, citing existing sanctions. This action led to claims from Maduro’s defense team that his constitutional right to counsel was being infringed upon. Attorney Barry Pollack, representing Maduro, argued that the U.S. was violating the deposed leader’s constitutional rights by blocking Venezuelan government funds for his legal defense.
After weeks of legal contention, the Treasury Department amended its stance. In a letter to U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, federal prosecutors indicated that OFAC had issued a waiver, allowing the Venezuelan government to pay for Maduro and Flores’s legal expenses under specific conditions. The amended licenses authorize defense counsel to receive payments from the Government of Venezuela under certain conditions, ensuring that the payments are made with money available to the Government of Venezuela after March 5, 2026.
With the financial impasse resolved, Judge Hellerstein has scheduled the next court appearance for June. This session is expected to address pre-trial motions and set a timeline for the proceedings. The case continues to draw significant attention, given its implications for international law and diplomatic relations.
Maduro and Flores remain detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn as they await their upcoming court date.