A federal judge in Manhattan pressed the Trump administration on its decision to bar Venezuela from paying legal fees for former President Nicolás Maduro's U.S. drug trafficking defense, but declined to dismiss the case over the dispute.

Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, presiding over the case in the Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse, emphasized the defendants' constitutional right to counsel. "The defendant is here. Flores is here. They present no further national security threat," Hellerstein said. "The right that's implicated, paramount over other rights, is the right to constitutional counsel."

Maduro, 63, and his wife Cilia Flores, 69, face charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and weapons offenses stemming from allegations they led a cartel shipping tons of cocaine to the U.S. while funding terrorism. Conviction could mean life in prison. U.S. special forces captured them in a January 3 raid on their Caracas home and flew them to New York, where they have remained jailed in Brooklyn without bail.

The couple's lawyers, including Barry Pollack, argued the sanctions violate their Sixth Amendment rights by preventing Venezuela from covering defense costs, as Maduro lacks personal funds. Prosecutors, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Wirshba, countered that the sanctions serve national security and foreign policy goals, noting Maduro's government plundered Venezuela's wealth and has not been recognized as legitimate since 2019. They said public defenders remain an option.

Hellerstein noted improved U.S.-Venezuela ties since Maduro's ouster, with sanctions eased on oil and diplomacy restored under interim President Delcy Rodriguez. He deferred a ruling on funding and rejected dismissal, saying other remedies exist, such as challenging the Treasury Department separately. Pollack indicated he may withdraw without payment.

President Donald Trump, speaking at a Cabinet meeting Thursday, called Maduro a "major purveyor of drugs" and pledged a fair trial while hinting at more charges, including over Venezuelan prison releases. Maduro has pleaded not guilty, maintaining he is Venezuela's constitutional president.

No trial date has been set. Protests occurred outside the courthouse.