The figure of Nicolás Maduro once again monopolized the spotlight in the New York Court. Noticeably thinner, gray-haired and dressed in a beige romper, the former president of Venezuela entered to face American justice. Despite attending without handcuffs, he was surrounded by guards during the hearing, which he listened to through headphones, showing an empty look that contrasted with the power he once held.
The session, chaired by federal judge Alvin Hellerstein, 92, focused on a critical point: Who will pay for Maduro’s elite defense?
ILLICIT FUNDS TO PAY LAWYERS? THE LEGAL DILEMMA
Defense attorney Barry J. Pollack launched a controversial request: that the United States allow the use of seized Venezuelan funds to pay his fees. Pollack argued that it is the only way to guarantee a defense commensurate with the magnitude of the accusations.
For his part, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Wirshba attempted to block this possibility citing “national security” reasons. However, Judge Hellerstein cast doubt on this argument with a phrase that resonated throughout the courtroom:
“He is no longer a threat to national security… He is here,” the judge ruled, referring to the fact that Maduro no longer holds power and is in custody in Manhattan.
THE CROSSROADS FOR DONALD TRUMP
This position by Hellerstein opens a complex scenario for Donald Trump’s administration. If the judge orders the release of part of Venezuela’s opaque funds to pay for the defense of Maduro and his associates, the White House would be forced to appeal the decision or face the contradiction of unlocking money linked to corruption to benefit the dictator himself.
SECRET EVIDENCE OF THE DEA AND THE ARAGUA TRAIN
The hearing also addressed the participation of other key defendants, including:
- Cilia Flores (Maduro’s wife).
- Diosdado Cabello (Minister of the Interior).
- Nicolás Maduro Guerra (son of the former dictator).
- Héctor “Niño Guerrero” (leader of the Aragua Train).
The prosecution refuses to share the DEA’s secret evidence, arguing that it would endanger witnesses who collaborated to prove the regime’s links to drug trafficking and terrorism.
WHAT’S NEXT IN THE TRIAL AGAINST MADURO?
After more than an hour of debate, the hearing adjourned at 12:45. His honor, Judge Hellerstein, will have to resolve two fundamental points in the coming days:
- If sanctions are lifted on funds seized to pay for the defense.
- Whether the defense will have access to classified evidence that links Maduro to organized crime.
When he finished, Maduro greeted his lawyer like an automaton and returned to his cell in the custody of the US Marshalls. The process continues, and the former dictator’s fate seems sealed within the walls of a New York prison.
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