Maduro demands closure of drug trafficking case due to blocked funds for lawyers
Kyiv • UNN
Nicolás Maduro's defense asks a New York court to drop charges due to the inability to pay for legal services. The U.S. Treasury Department is blocking funds that Venezuela is ready to provide for the defense.
The defense of former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro has appealed to a New York federal court with a motion to drop all charges due to the impossibility of financing legal services. Attorney Barry Pollack claims that the US Treasury Department is deliberately preventing the receipt of fees from the Venezuelan government, which is a direct violation of the defendant's constitutional right to defense. This is reported by Bloomberg, writes UNN.
Details
According to court documents, lawyers for Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores filed requests for special licenses from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) back in early January. Although the permits were issued promptly, within a few hours the agency, without explanation, made amendments that effectively prohibited any transactions from Venezuela.
Barry Pollack emphasized that Caracas is officially ready to cover all legal costs in accordance with national legislation, but the American side is blocking these "untainted" funds, despite permission for other commercial operations with the country.
Maduro's statement about inability to pay for lawyers' services
Nicolas Maduro himself, who, along with his wife, was brought to the US by American military forces in January 2026, submitted a signed declaration stating that he had no personal funds to pay for professional assistance.
He emphasized that he relied entirely on state funding from Venezuela and is now in a situation where the US government simultaneously brings charges and deprives him of the opportunity to defend himself against them. The US Department of Justice and the US Treasury Department are currently refraining from comment while the judge considers the defense's request for a complete dismissal of the case due to procedural violations.
Pentagon may have used AI tool in operation against Maduro - WSJ14.02.26, 12:59 • 11786 views