Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro appeared in U.S. court Thursday as a drug trafficking case against him and his wife proceeds.
Lawyers for Maduro argued that the U.S. should allow federal funds from Venezuela to pay legal fees for the case. Those funds have been frozen under U.S. sanctions against the Venezuelan government.
Judge Alvin Hellerstein observed that relations between the U.S. and Venezuela have thawed recently, with some sanctions being lifted and U.S. diplomats returning to Caracas.
“The current paramount goal and need and constitutional right is the right to defense," the judge said.
The hearing is Maduro's first court appearance since arraignment in January. Both Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are being held in a detention center in Brooklyn in New York.
An indictment charges Maduro with drug trafficking and accuses Maduro and Flores of ordering kidnappings and murders in the defense of the operation. They face a potential sentence of life in prison if they're convicted.
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Maduro and his wife were captured in January at their home in Caracas during an overnight operation carried out by U.S. special forces. The couple was then promptly flown to New York City.
The raid killed at least 24 Venezuelan security officers and 32 Cuban military and police officers, according to local officials.
Maduro had previously been indicted in 2020 for drug-related charges. At the time, the U.S. had offered up to a $15 million reward for Maduro's arrest. That amount has since been increased to $50 million.
