The United States has moved to block the Venezuelan state from footing the bill for Nicolás Maduro’s legal team as he fights federal drug-trafficking charges in New York, according to court filings from his defence camp.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have pleaded not guilty in Manhattan to accusations that include conspiracy to import cocaine and related offences — charges that carry the possibility of decades behind bars. They have been detained in New York since a January 3 operation that saw U.S. forces seize the former Venezuelan leader in Caracas.
In a letter made public this week, defence lawyer Barry Pollack said the U.S. Treasury’s sanctions arm briefly authorised Venezuelan government funds to be used to pay his legal fees on January 9 — only for that approval to be pulled back hours later without explanation. Pollack asserts this reversal effectively bars the government from meeting its traditional obligation under Venezuelan law to cover a president’s legal costs, leaving Maduro personally unable to pay for counsel.
Pollack also argues the decision interferes with Maduro’s ability to choose and retain counsel, raising questions about access to defence under U.S. legal norms. While the licence for Flores’ legal fees appears to remain in place, no comment has come from the U.S. Treasury or prosecutors handling the case.
Since Maduro’s capture, his former vice-president, Delcy Rodriguez, has been leading Venezuela, and U.S. policy continues to shape interactions between Washington and Caracas.
