The US has authorized the Government of Venezuela to pay the defense fees of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Floresimprisoned in New York and prosecuted on charges linked to drug trafficking. The decision partially modifies the effect of US sanctions on Venezuela and clears up, at least for now, one of the defense’s main arguments to try to overthrow the case.
Until now, Washington prevented the Venezuelan Executive from financing marriage lawyers due to the restrictions imposed on the country. The defense alleged that this blockade violated the Sixth Amendment of the US Constitutionwhich guarantees the right of an accused to have the lawyer of his choice. According to the court brief, the Treasury Department will now allow these payments under specific conditions.
Payments will not be able to come out of US-controlled oil
The authorization is not full. The funds must be available to the Venezuelan Government after March 5, 2026 and They cannot come from sales of Venezuelan oil regulated in the USwhose income is channeled into special accounts overseen by Washington.
Prosecutor Jay Clayton communicated the measure to Judge Alvin Hellerstein, in charge of the case in New York. Following the waiver, the defense recognizes the change and withdraws its motion to dismiss the charges for now.
Maduro and Flores plead not guilty
Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, were captured in Caracas on January 3, 2026 during a US military operation and transferred to New York. Both remain held in Brooklyn and have pleaded not guilty to charges, including narcoterrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation and weapons offenses.
The case is now focused on the merits of the accusation. For the defense, the issue of payments was key because affected the constitutional right to effective legal representation. For the Prosecutor’s Office, the sanctions responded to reasons of national security, although the Treasury has chosen to open a limited avenue to prevent this procedural conflict from blocking the trial.
