The federal judge responsible for the criminal case against Nicolás Maduro in New York dealt another blow to the Venezuelan dictator’s defense on Tuesday (7), by banning his lawyers from sharing evidence in the case with other defendants who remain at large, according to court documents.
In a court order, Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein declared that material from the case “may not be shared with any defendant who has not yet been arrested, nor with their attorneys.”
He also stated that “it is not necessary to share this evidence to prepare the defense.”
The decision supports the prosecution, which had requested limited access to evidence due to potential “risks” for witnesses and the investigation. The measure excludes other defendants who have not yet been arrested, including Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and Maduro’s eldest son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra.
In the indictment, the US also included Cabello, Maduro Guerra and politician and former official Ramón Rodríguez Chacín, all of whom deny the accusations.
The document also accuses Héctor Guerrero Flores, aka “Niño Guerrero”, the alleged leader of the criminal group Tren de Aragua, a gang designated as a transnational terrorist organization by the government of American President Donald Trump.
This is the second recent setback for Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were captured in early January in Caracas and transferred to New York, where they have been detained for more than 90 days.
Both face charges of drug trafficking, money laundering and corruption, to which they have pleaded not guilty.
On March 26, in his ruling, Judge Hellerstein refused to dismiss the case as requested by the defense, which alleges that the U.S. government is obstructing its client’s defense by not granting a license that would allow the Venezuelan government to cover the attorneys’ costs.
Although the judge, appointed by former US President Bill Clinton, said he would soon issue a ruling on whether Caracas should be allowed to cover legal expenses, he made clear that this issue did not invalidate the process.
During that session, prosecutors accused Maduro and Flores of “looting Venezuela’s wealth”, while the defense insisted that the couple could not afford the defense costs and that the Venezuelan government should cover them.
Hellerstein, in turn, questioned both sides about the implications of the use of sanctions and the availability of other resources to pay for defense.
The progress of the process coincides with the fact that Delcy Rodríguez has already exceeded 90 days as interim leader of Venezuela, a limit established by the Supreme Court after Maduro’s arrest.
According to the Venezuelan Constitution, when the leader is temporarily absent, the deputy leader—a position Rodríguez previously held—must assume the role for a maximum period of 90 days.
The National Assembly may extend this interim period for another 90 days, if it deems necessary.
