Judge Weighs Venezuela's Payment of Maduro Legal Fees

U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein questioned the Trump administration's basis for barring Venezuela from paying former President Nicolás Maduro's legal fees in his drug trafficking case during a hearing on March 26, 2026. The hearing occurred as relations between the United States and Venezuela have improved since Maduro's capture on January 3, with diplomatic ties reestablished and economic sanctions eased on Venezuela's oil industry.

Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are being held in New York and appeared in court wearing beige jail uniforms. They face charges of 'narco-terrorism' and could receive life imprisonment if convicted. Prosecutors argued that Maduro 'plundered' Venezuela's wealth and should not be allowed to use government funds for legal fees, according to BBC. Judge Hellerstein, known for high-profile cases including those arising from Al-Qaeda's September 11, 2001 terror attacks, appeared sympathetic to arguments that Maduro and Flores should be allowed to use Venezuelan government money for their defense. He noted that 'the right to defence is paramount' but did not dismiss the case over the dispute.

Maduro's lawyer Barry Pollack argued that using public defenders would divert legal resources from those who need them, while Prosecutor Kyle Wirshba described the case as unique, involving national security and foreign policy interests. Maduro declared his innocence during a January arraignment, stating he is 'a decent man, the constitutional president of my country,' per NPR. The stunning operation that captured Maduro deposed the strongman who had led Venezuela since 2013 and has since forced the oil-rich country to largely bend to the will of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Judge Hellerstein did not issue a ruling or specify when he would do so. The case is expected to test U.S. narcoterrorism law, which has resulted in just four trial convictions since its enactment in 2006. Maduro and his wife were forcibly taken by US commandos in the early hours of January 3 in airstrikes on the Venezuelan capital backed by warplanes and a heavy naval deployment. At least 83 people died and more than 112 people were injured in the assault, according to eNCA. No U.S. service members were killed.

A police convoy believed to be carrying Maduro and Flores left the jail at around 4:00 am (0800 GMT) to reach the Manhattan court, AFP journalists saw. Several backers and opponents of Maduro gathered outside the courthouse, including some with a large inflatable doll depicting him in an orange prison jumpsuit with handcuffs. 'We are desperate for any sort of justice regarding everything that we've been through,' said Carlos Egana, 30, who supports the prosecution of Maduro.

Detained in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center, a federal prison known for unsanitary conditions, Maduro is reportedly alone in a cell with no access to the internet or newspapers. A source close to the Venezuelan government said the incarcerated Maduro reads the Bible and is referred to as 'president' by some of his fellow detainees. He is only allowed to communicate by phone with his family and lawyers for a maximum of 15 minutes per call, the source added.