"Legal Deadlock": Maduro’s Lawyer Accuses U.S. of Blocking Legal Fees via Sanctions in High-Profile Drug Case

In a judicial filing published Wednesday in New York, attorney Barry Pollack raised a formal complaint to Judge Alvin Hellerstein, alleging that the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is obstructing Nicolas Maduro’s constitutional right to counsel. Pollack revealed that a license allowing the Venezuelan government to pay for Maduro’s legal defense was revoked without explanation just hours after being granted in early January.

The defense argues that by preventing the payment of fees, the U.S. government is violating the Sixth Amendment, which guarantees the right to an attorney of choice. Maduro (63) and his wife Cilia Flores (69) have been held in a Brooklyn federal prison since their forced transfer from Caracas following a U.S. military operation. They are facing major drug trafficking charges, with their next court appearance scheduled for March 26, 2026.