U.S. Federal Judge Alvin Hellerstein has declined to drop the criminal case against ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro over a dispute on how to pay for his defense at this stage, despite significant controversy surrounding the matter. Maduro and his family had requested the judge to dismiss the charges of "drug trafficking and terrorism," stating that U.S. sanctions, which prevent the Venezuelan government from paying for their lawyer, violate their right to choose counsel under the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. During Thursday's hearing, Judge Hellerstein stated: "I am not going to dismiss the case." He added that he could revisit this decision later if it turns out that the U.S. government arbitrarily created obstacles to Venezuela's ability to pay for the defense, which means that Maduro's team can refile the motion to dismiss if circumstances change. For now, the case will proceed despite the ongoing legal dispute over the funding of Maduro's and his wife Celia Flores' defense, while the judge expresses skepticism about the government's justification for denying them defense resources. Maduro and his wife wore beige prison jumpsuits while appearing in a Manhattan federal court, more than two months after U.S. forces apprehended them in a surprise raid on Caracas and airlifted them to New York. Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, pleaded not guilty to the charges against them, which include conspiracy in cases of "drug-related terrorism"; and were remanded in custody in Brooklyn pending trial. "Defense Fees". All criminal defendants in the United States have constitutional rights, regardless of whether they are U.S. citizens or not. The defendants' attorneys stated that Maduro and Flores do not have the financial ability to pay for their defense out of their own pockets.
