US Authorizes Venezuela to Pay for Maduro’s Legal Defense, Ending Dispute

The United States has authorized Venezuela’s government to pay for the legal defense of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in their ongoing narcotics case in New York, according to court documents released on Friday. The decision, issued by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), modifies existing sanctions to allow Venezuela to use state funds to cover attorney fees under specific conditions. The authorization permits payments only from funds available to the Venezuelan government after March 5, 2026, and explicitly prohibits the use of money from foreign government deposits. Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, were detained by U.S. Special forces in Caracas on January 3 and later transferred to a federal prison in Brooklyn. They face charges related to alleged drug trafficking, a case that has drawn international attention due to its political implications and the high-profile nature of the defendants. The move represents a shift in strategy by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Trump administration, which had previously blocked access to such funds on national security and foreign policy grounds. Earlier, Maduro’s legal team, led by attorney Barry Pollack, had argued that the inability to pay for counsel violated the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of effective legal representation, prompting motions to dismiss the case. Following the OFAC authorization, those motions were withdrawn, with defense attorneys stating the funding issue had been resolved. The legal team confirmed receipt of the updated licenses, which allow them to accept payments from the Venezuelan government under the outlined conditions. A formal trial against Maduro and Flores is not expected to begin for another one to two years, according to officials familiar with the case. The case remains under the jurisdiction of Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein in the Southern District of New York. The development underscores the complex intersection of international sanctions, legal rights, and diplomatic relations, particularly in cases involving sanctioned governments and individuals facing prosecution in U.S. Courts. It also highlights how legal challenges to sanctions enforcement can prompt policy adjustments, even amid broader geopolitical tensions.