Administration opposes Maduro effort to dismiss charges

WASHINGTON, DC: The Trump administration formally opposed a request by deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, to dismiss their federal criminal case on Friday, March 13.

The defendants argued last month that their right to mount a fair defense had been compromised because US sanctions prevented them from accessing funds to pay their legal fees.

In a court filing, federal prosecutors said the couple remains free to use personal funds to finance their defense, including jointly held assets.

However, the government maintained that US sanctions prohibit them from drawing on assets belonging to the Venezuelan state or other sanctioned government entities.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has granted a limited exception allowing the use of personal funds but not state-controlled resources.

Government labels defense assets slush fund

In its response to the court, the administration argued that Maduro and Flores were attempting to access funds tied to sanctioned Venezuelan government bodies.

Prosecutors said those assets remain restricted under the existing sanctions policy and cannot be used to finance the couple’s legal defense.

The filing also addressed earlier licensing decisions made by OFAC. Defense attorneys had pointed to approvals issued in January allowing certain payments for legal services.

Prosecutors said a broader authorization had been granted due to what they described as an "administrative error." The Treasury Department later amended the licenses to clarify that legal payments must come from personal funds rather than government-controlled accounts.

Decades of alleged d**g trafficking

The criminal indictment against Maduro and Flores alleges involvement in a long-running d**g trafficking conspiracy.

Prosecutors say Maduro and associates worked with armed criminal organizations to move large quantities of c***ine toward the United States.

Maduro faces a charge of narco-t****rism conspiracy, while both defendants are also charged with conspiracy to import c***ine. The case also includes allegations involving weapons offenses connected to the alleged trafficking network known as the "Cartel of the Suns," which prosecutors say operated with support from Venezuelan officials.

Deposed leader remains in federal custody

Maduro and Flores were brought to the United States following a US military operation in Caracas earlier this year. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty and remain detained in New York while awaiting trial.

Defense lawyers argue that Venezuelan law requires the government to cover legal costs for the president and first lady, and they contend that blocking those funds interferes with Maduro’s constitutional right to counsel.

Prosecutors reject that claim, stating that sanctions policies were designed in part to limit access to state resources tied to the Venezuelan government.

The court is expected to consider the dispute over legal fees and the motion to dismiss during upcoming proceedings in Manhattan.