Key Facts
- ✓ Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro hired US lawyer Barry Pollack to defend him in court.
- ✓ Pollack is known for representing Julian Assange and handling national security cases.
- ✓ The Justice Department has accused Maduro of participating in a narco-terrorism conspiracy.
- ✓ US Marshals escorted Maduro and his wife into a Manhattan courtroom where they pleaded not guilty.
- ✓ Pollack told the judge he would file motions challenging the legality of the military abduction.
Quick Summary
Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro has retained US lawyer Barry Pollack to defend him in federal court. Pollack is a criminal defense attorney known for handling high-profile national security cases, including the representation of WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were apprehended in Caracas and brought to the United States to face charges.
The Justice Department has accused Maduro of participating in a narco-terrorism conspiracy. Pollack formally entered an appearance on the court docket and entered a not guilty plea during a hearing in Manhattan. He indicated plans to challenge the charges and the circumstances of the arrest, citing issues regarding the military abduction of a head of state.
The Arrest and Court Appearance
US military forces apprehended Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores in a pre-dawn operation on Saturday in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas. The couple was subsequently brought to the United States to face federal charges. On Monday afternoon, US Marshals escorted the couple into a 26th-floor courtroom in lower Manhattan, where they entered not-guilty pleas and proclaimed their innocence.
The Justice Department has accused Maduro, who was serving as Venezuela's president at the time of his capture, of participating in a narco-terrorism conspiracy. Prosecutors allege he worked with illegal drug gangs. Additionally, Maduro and Flores are accused of conspiring to illegally import cocaine into the United States and facing gun-related charges. Barry Pollack was present to represent Maduro during this initial hearing.
"Mr. Maduro is the head of a sovereign state. He is entitled to the privileges and immunities that go with that office. In addition, there are issues about the legality of this military abduction."
— Barry Pollack, Attorney
Pollack's Legal Strategy and Defense
At the hearing, Barry Pollack informed US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein that he intends to file 'voluminous and complicated' motions on Maduro's behalf. These filings will suggest a challenge to both the charges and the legal basis for the arrest. Pollack emphasized the unique diplomatic status of his client in court arguments.
Pollack stated in court, "Mr. Maduro is the head of a sovereign state. He is entitled to the privileges and immunities that go with that office. In addition, there are issues about the legality of this military abduction." Pollack's experience with sensitive national security matters is viewed as a significant asset for a case that will likely involve classified information. He is an attorney at the boutique law firm Harris St. Laurent & Wechsler LLP.
Pollack's Professional Background
Barry Pollack is best known as one of the lawyers who represented Julian Assange. Prosecutors had accused Assange of working with hackers to obtain government secrets and conspiring with former US Army officer Chelsea Manning to leak documents. Assange pleaded guilty to espionage charges in the summer of 2024. Pollack also represented Jeffrey Sterling, a former CIA officer convicted of espionage charges after leaking information to a journalist.
Pollack has a long track record of successful defense outcomes in criminal trials. He represented former Enron accountant Michael W. Krautz, who was acquitted of fraud charges. He also successfully overturned the conviction of Martin Tankleff, who spent 17 years in prison. More recently, Pollack represented an executive of a poultry company accused of conspiring to fix the price of chickens; jurors declined to find the executive guilty in two separate trials. Pollack is a former public defender and president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
Representation and Logistics
It is not clear when Barry Pollack began representing Nicolás Maduro, though he formally entered an appearance on the court docket late Monday morning. To be paid for his services, Pollack will likely need a waiver from the US Treasury Department, which has sanctioned Maduro and the Venezuelan government. Maduro was first indicted in 2020, and Judge Hellerstein has overseen court proceedings against other Venezuelan nationals accused of conspiring with him.
While Pollack represented Maduro, Cilia Flores is represented by Mark Donnelly, a Texas-based attorney who served as a federal prosecutor for 12 years, and one of his law partners, Andres Sanchez. A court-appointed lawyer for Maduro, David Wikstrom, stated he was informed he would be representing the president but had not spoken to Pollack shortly before the noon hearing.
"You've got somebody who's not a United States citizen who is publishing information not in the United States, had not set foot in the United States, with respect to any of the alleged offensive conduct."
— Barry Pollack, Attorney
