Maduro and wife return to New York court as funding dispute intensifies

Former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores appeared before a federal judge in New York for the second time following their capture in a US special operation.

According to CNN, Maduro and Flores sat at the defense table during the hearing, used headphones for interpretation and took notes intermittently.

Prosecutors accused Maduro and Flores of “looting Venezuela’s wealth” and urged the court not to allow Venezuelan state funds to cover their legal defense. Maduro’s lawyer countered that the former leader and his wife lacked the means to finance their defense independently, adding that his client held a “property interest” in overseas assets.

Federal judge Alvin Hellerstein challenged the prosecution’s argument that US sanctions should be used as a foreign policy tool in this context.

Hellerstein repeatedly asked whether defense costs could be covered through alternative means. According to CNN, he said a decision on whether Venezuela could fund the defense would be issued shortly, while emphasizing that the issue would not justify dismissing the case.

Maduro says US interfered with his right to defense

Maduro told the court during the March 26 hearing that the US government had restricted his ability to defend himself against narcoterrorism charges and argued that the case should be dismissed.

The first hearing in the US case against Maduro took place in January, where he pleaded not guilty and reiterated that he remained Venezuela’s president.

At the end of February, his lawyer requested dismissal of the charges, arguing that US actions had violated Maduro’s right to defense by blocking access to funds. Reports indicated that Venezuelan state assets had been frozen, preventing their use for legal expenses.

Maduro couple brought to US in operation

Maduro and Flores were transported to the US following a January 3 operation conducted by US forces in Caracas. The two are facing charges including narcoterrorism, drug trafficking and weapons offenses.

The Venezuelan authorities described the incident as a military attack, stating that around 100 people were killed during the events in early January.