Nicolas Maduro heads back to court arguing that the US is trying to hamstring his defense

Source: CNN US

PUBLISHED Mar 26, 2026, 12:01 AM ET


Nicolas Maduro, the former president of Venezuela, will to try to convince a federal judge on Thursday that the US government is interfering with his ability to defend against narco-terrorism related charges and the case should be dismissed.

Judge Alvin Hellerstein initially set the hearing to give lawyers for Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores de Maduro time to review evidence and sketch out a schedule for legal motions and potentially set a trial date.

In a twist in the already unusual case, Maduro’s attorney, Barry Pollack, said last month he will need to withdraw, if the US doesn’t allow the government of Venezuela to pay his legal fees.

Maduro and his wife were captured from their presidential compound in Caracas in early January in a stunning overnight US military and law enforcement operation and brought to New York to face charges.


Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/26/us/maduro-heads-back-to-court-amid-fight-over-his-lawyers