Maduro defense, prosecutors argue over blocked funds to pay for legal team

Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s attorney argued that Caracas should pay legal fees for him and his wife, Cilia Flores, during a Thursday hearing, arguing that the two cannot afford legal representation on their own. 

Maduro and Flores were captured by the U.S. military in January and are facing drug trafficking and narco-terrorism charges in New York.

Prosecutor Kyle Wirshba argued that U.S. sanctions prevent the country from providing financial assistance for the couple’s legal proceedings in the U.S. and suggested that both could receive services from public defenders. 

Presiding Judge Alvin Hellerstein said the case is “beyond the normal” and could “hamper” a public defender’s ability to do their normal work, according to The Associated Press.

Wirshba said the U.S. government is still investigating whether Maduro and his wife are able to pay their own legal fees. 

The prosecutor also argued that Hellerstein has no say over the release of Venezuelan funds from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control to cover Maduro’s legal costs. 

However, Maduro’s lawyer, Barry Pollack, said the discrepancy is preventing his client from invoking his Sixth Amendment right to legal counsel of his choosing. 

Maduro and Flores have both pleaded not guilty to the alleged crimes.

Hellerstein, who’s one of the longest-serving sitting judges in the country at 92 years old, has not yet set a trial date and didn’t rule on Thursday on whether they could use funds from Venezuela to support their legal costs.

He did tell Maduro’s attorney that he isn’t planning to dismiss the case.

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