Venezuela’s Maduro makes second look in N.Y. courtroom on narco-terrorism fees – One America Information Community

[ad_1] <img decoding="async" width="800" height="534" src="https://www.oann.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/FOR-WEBSITE-ARTICLES-2026-03-26T181841.272.png" alt="" class="wp-image-767376" srcset="https://www.oann.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/FOR-WEBSITE-ARTICLES-2026-03-26T181841.272.png 800w, https://www.oann.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/FOR-WEBSITE-ARTICLES-2026-03-26T181841.272-400x267.png 400w, https://www.oann.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/FOR-WEBSITE-ARTICLES-2026-03-26T181841.272-768x513.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"/> (L-top) motorcade carrying Maduro on March 26, 2026, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Ryan Murphy/Getty Photos) / (R-top) Demonstrators present assist for arrest of Maduro on March 26, 2026. (Photograph by Spencer Platt/Getty Photos) / (R-bottom) Nicolás Maduro on November 21, 2025. (Photograph by Jesus Vargas/Getty Photos) / (L-bottom) Photograph by Ryan Murphy/Getty Photos.

OAN Employees Katherine Mosack6:24 PM – Thursday, March 26, 2026

Kidnapped Venezuelan socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro has returned to courtroom in New York looking for for the decide to dismiss his drug trafficking case, marking his second look for the reason that Trump administration captured him in January.

Maduro’s lawyer argued in Manhattan Federal Court docket on Thursday that america violated his constitutional rights by blocking Venezuelan authorities funds from paying for his authorized bills.

Additionally they claimed that the U.S. Division of the Treasury’s Workplace of International Property Management (OFAC) accepted the usage of Venezuela’s funds, however rescinded the approval three hours later.

“Mr. Maduro, who lacks his personal funds to retain counsel, is being disadvantaged of his constitutional proper to counsel of his alternative,” Maduro’s attorneys mentioned in courtroom papers filed in February.

“If OFAC’s interference with Mr. Maduro’s capability to fund his protection persists, undersigned counsel can't stay within the case, nor can Mr. Maduro be represented by some other retained counsel,” his attorneys wrote. “Not solely would the courtroom have to appoint counsel and foist the price of Mr. Maduro’s protection on america taxpayers, regardless of the willingness and obligation of the federal government of Venezuela to pay Mr. Maduro’s protection prices, but in addition any verdict in opposition to Mr. Maduro could be constitutionally suspect.”

Nevertheless, OFAC mentioned it had by no means allowed Venezuela to fund Maduro’s protection. In filings from March, it said, “The inclusion in these licenses of an authorization to make use of funds paid by the Authorities of Venezuela was an administrative error.”

“I'm not responsible. I'm an honest man, the constitutional president of my nation,” Maduro declared at his arraignment in January.

Former Venezuelan First Girl Cilia Flores, Maduro’s spouse, was extracted together with him from Caracas and she or he additionally faces trial in New York for narco-terrorism. Each have pleaded not responsible, and neither of them have requested to be launched on bail. The couple has been in custody at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Middle as they await their trial, which Choose Alvin Hellerstein has but to set a date for.

Maduro is accused by america of main the Cartel of the Suns (Cartel de los Soles), a drug-trafficking community involving high-level Venezuelan authorities officers that primarily transports cocaine from Colombia via Venezuela to worldwide markets.

Court docket paperwork accuse Maduro of spearheading a “corrupt, illegitimate authorities that, for many years, has leveraged authorities energy to guard and promote criminality, together with drug trafficking.”

Operation Absolute Resolve, which led to Maduro and his spouse’s seize with no U.S. casualties, adopted months of the Trump administration mounting stress. Along with increase a heavy navy presence off Venezuela’s coast, the U.S. navy struck a number of boats suspected of smuggling illicit medicine into the nation.

In the meantime, in Venezuela, Maduro’s former vice chairman, Delcy Rodríguez, has succeeded his position and is cooperating with america because the nations work towards a switch of energy. Maduro remained in energy over Venezuela via a number of elections that Venezuelan residents, the U.S., and United Nations (UN) consider he stole.