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US Agrees with Venezuelan Government to Fund Maduro's Legal Defense
(MENAFN) Washington has reached an agreement with the Venezuelan government to finance Nicolás Maduro's legal defense, bringing a weeks-long judicial standoff to a close, a news agency reported Saturday.
Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York confirmed that the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control has issued amended licenses permitting attorneys representing Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro, to receive payment from Venezuelan state funds.
The breakthrough follows a tense hearing held one month prior, during which prosecutors alleged that Maduro had "plundered Venezuela's wealth and should not be able to use its money for legal fees."
His attorney, Barry Pollock, pushed back sharply, arguing the US government was unlawfully blocking his client's access to resources needed for his legal representation. "He is entitled to use those resources to defend himself," Pollock said.
In a joint filing submitted late Friday, US Attorney Jay Clayton outlined stringent conditions governing the use of those funds — stipulating that eligible money must have been made accessible after March 5, 2026, and cannot originate from restricted foreign government deposit accounts.
Prosecutors contend that the newly issued licenses effectively resolve the dispute that had prompted the defendants to seek dismissal of the case. The defense has since withdrawn those motions without prejudice.
Both sides have jointly asked the court to schedule a status conference within approximately 60 days and to pause the speedy trial clock — a delay they argue is necessary to allow prosecutors to share evidence and give defense attorneys adequate time to review discovery materials and weigh potential pretrial motions.
Maduro and his wife were taken into custody by US forces during a nighttime raid in Caracas, Venezuela's capital, on January 3. The couple was transported to New York City and appeared before a federal judge two days later, facing drug trafficking charges. Both have entered pleas of not guilty.
Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York confirmed that the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control has issued amended licenses permitting attorneys representing Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro, to receive payment from Venezuelan state funds.
The breakthrough follows a tense hearing held one month prior, during which prosecutors alleged that Maduro had "plundered Venezuela's wealth and should not be able to use its money for legal fees."
His attorney, Barry Pollock, pushed back sharply, arguing the US government was unlawfully blocking his client's access to resources needed for his legal representation. "He is entitled to use those resources to defend himself," Pollock said.
In a joint filing submitted late Friday, US Attorney Jay Clayton outlined stringent conditions governing the use of those funds — stipulating that eligible money must have been made accessible after March 5, 2026, and cannot originate from restricted foreign government deposit accounts.
Prosecutors contend that the newly issued licenses effectively resolve the dispute that had prompted the defendants to seek dismissal of the case. The defense has since withdrawn those motions without prejudice.
Both sides have jointly asked the court to schedule a status conference within approximately 60 days and to pause the speedy trial clock — a delay they argue is necessary to allow prosecutors to share evidence and give defense attorneys adequate time to review discovery materials and weigh potential pretrial motions.
Maduro and his wife were taken into custody by US forces during a nighttime raid in Caracas, Venezuela's capital, on January 3. The couple was transported to New York City and appeared before a federal judge two days later, facing drug trafficking charges. Both have entered pleas of not guilty.
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