Finance
US to Let Venezuela Pay Maduro's Lawyer in Drug Trafficking Case
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on April 25, 2026
3 min readLast updated: April 25, 2026
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The U.S. has eased Venezuela sanctions to allow its government to pay defense lawyers for Nicolás Maduro in his New York drug‑trafficking case, overturning prior restrictions that risked infringing his Sixth Amendment rights.
US Allows Venezuela to Pay Maduro’s Lawyer in Sanctions-Related Drug Case
US Modifies Sanctions to Permit Legal Payments in High-Profile Case
By Luc Cohen
April 25 - The United States has agreed to modify its sanctions on Venezuela to allow the South American country's government to pay Nicolás Maduro's defense lawyer, backing off a restriction that had threatened to derail the drug trafficking case against the ousted Venezuelan president, a court filing showed on Friday.
Background of the Case
Maduro, 63, and his wife Cilia Flores, 69, were captured from their home in Caracas by U.S. special forces on January 3 and brought to New York to face criminal charges including narcoterrorism conspiracy. They have pleaded not guilty and are jailed in Brooklyn pending trial.
Legal Defense Challenges
Maduro's lawyer Barry Pollack in February asked Manhattan-based U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein to dismiss the case because U.S. sanctions were preventing the Venezuelan government from paying his legal fees.
Pollack said that prohibition amounted to a violation of Maduro's rights under the U.S. Constitution to the counsel of his choice.
Neither Maduro nor Flores can afford lawyers on their own, and the Venezuelan government is prepared to pay their fees, their lawyers have said.
All criminal defendants in the U.S. have constitutional rights regardless of whether they are U.S. citizens.
Judicial and Prosecutorial Perspectives
Hellerstein said in a March 26 court hearing that he did not intend to dismiss the case, but appeared skeptical that the government was justified in blocking the payments.
Prosecutor Kyle Wirshba said in court that the U.S. sanctions blocking the payments were based on legitimate national security and foreign policy interests. Wirshba also said that Hellerstein could not order the Treasury Department to modify its sanctions because the executive branch, not the judiciary, is in charge of foreign policy.
Sanctions and Diplomatic Context
Hellerstein noted that the U.S. had relaxed sanctions on Venezuela since Maduro's ouster. Relations between Caracas and Washington have improved since Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro's former vice president, began leading Venezuela on an interim basis.
"The defendant is here, Flores is here. They present no further national security threat," said Hellerstein, a judicial appointee of Democratic President Bill Clinton. "The right that's implicated, paramount over other rights, is the right to constitutional counsel."
Historical and Political Background
During his first term in the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump ramped up sanctions on Venezuela over allegations that Maduro's government was corrupt and undermining democratic institutions. Washington called Maduro's 2018 reelection fraudulent.
Maduro dismissed those accusations, along with allegations of his participation in drug trafficking, as pretextual justifications for what he called a U.S. desire to seize control of the South American OPEC nation's vast oil reserves.
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; additional reporting by Rhea Rose Abraham in Bengaluru; Editing by Nia Williams)
Key Takeaways
- •The Treasury’s OFAC initially blocked, then allowed, payments from Venezuela to cover Maduro’s legal fees—previously a pivotal issue in court filings by his attorney Barry Pollack. (clashreport.com)
- •Judge Alvin Hellerstein, skeptical of national‑security-based sanctions given improved U.S.–Venezuela relations, had urged reconsideration and offered the defense opportunity to revisit dismissal if payments remained blocked. (apnews.com)
- •Since Maduro’s capture on January 3, 2026, U.S. policy has shifted toward normalization: sanctions on Venezuela’s oil and banking sectors have been eased, and a chargé d’affaires reinstated in Caracas, all bolstering the argument that blocking legal‑fee payments may be unwarranted. (axios.com)
References
Frequently Asked Questions about US to let Venezuela pay Maduro's lawyer in drug trafficking case
1Why did the US modify sanctions for Venezuela?
The US allowed Venezuela to pay Nicolás Maduro's lawyer to ensure his constitutional right to counsel in the ongoing drug trafficking case.
2Who is representing Maduro in the drug trafficking trial?
Nicolás Maduro is being represented by Barry Pollack, whose legal fees are to be paid by the Venezuelan government after the US modified sanctions.
3What charges is Maduro facing in the US?
Nicolás Maduro faces criminal charges including narcoterrorism conspiracy and drug trafficking.
4What prompted the US to relax sanctions recently?
Improved relations between Caracas and Washington and Maduro's removal from power contributed to the recent relaxation of certain sanctions.
5Where is Maduro being held while awaiting trial?
Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are jailed in Brooklyn, New York, pending trial.
