Overview
- U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein refused to dismiss the case on Thursday, rejecting a defense bid to end the prosecution over how Maduro’s legal team gets paid.
- The core dispute centers on sanctions that block Venezuela from using state funds to hire Maduro’s lawyers, with the judge questioning prosecutors’ national security rationale and leaving open future action if no solution emerges.
- No next court date was set, and experts say classified evidence and complex pretrial fights could delay any trial for years, with some estimates pushing a start into 2027 or 2028.
- President Donald Trump said Maduro will get a fair trial and suggested more cases could follow, while supporters and opponents rallied outside the Manhattan courthouse during the hearing.
- Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, remain in a high-security Brooklyn jail under tight limits on movement and contact, as broader arguments over presidential immunity and the legality of the January 3 capture continue to shadow the case.