Washington, United States — A lawyer for Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro says the US government is preventing the Venezuelan government from paying for his legal defense fees.
In a letter sent to the United States Courthouse on February 20, American defense attorney Atty. Barry Pollack told that both Maduro and his government are subject to US sanctions because of the criminal case his facing.
Because of that, his counsel applied for a license from the United States’ Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, or OFAC, to allow them to represent Maduro and receive payment from the Venezuelan government.
Pollack said OFAC granted the license on January 9.
However, less than three hours later, the agency amended Maduro’s license to remove authorization for Venezuela to cover his legal fees.
“On January 9, 2026, OFAC granted both licenses. Less than three hours later, however, OFAC, sua sponte and without explanation, amended the license related to the representation of Mr. Maduro,” said Atty. Barry Pollack.
According to the New York Times, the OFAC grants licenses to allow companies and individuals to enter into arrangements that would normally be barred with countries subject to US sanctions.
It can be recalled that Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were taken into US custody in January and transported to New York, where they face federal charges — including conspiracy to import cocaine and narco-terrorism conspiracy.
Both have pleaded not guilty and are being held in detention while awaiting trial.
Pollack also explained that Venezuelan law requires the government to cover legal costs for the president, even the first lady: “Accordingly, by its failure to allow the government of Venezuela to pay Mr. Maduro’s defense costs, OFAC is interfering with Mr. Maduro’s ability to retain counsel and, therefore, his right under the Sixth Amendment to counsel of his choice.”
He argued that by blocking the payment of those fees, the US is interfering with Maduro’s constitutional Sixth Amendment right to counsel.
“Accordingly, by its failure to allow the government of Venezuela to pay Mr. Maduro’s defense costs, OFAC is interfering with Mr. Maduro’s ability to retain counsel and, therefore, his right under the Sixth Amendment to counsel of his choice,” he explained.
Meanwhile on February 11, Pollack asked OFAC to reinstate the original license allowing Venezuela to pay for Maduro’s defense.
As of the letter’s filing, OFAC had not acted on the request.
The application also included the representation of his wife, Cilia Flores.
However, the license for the defense representing Flores was not changed.