Trump Administration Blocks Venezuela From Paying Maduro's Legal Defense in Drug Trafficking Case

The Trump administration has blocked Venezuela from paying the legal defense of former dictator Nicolás Maduro, who faces federal drug trafficking charges in Manhattan. Maduro's attorney, Barry Pollack, told a federal judge that the Treasury Department initially authorized Venezuela to cover the legal fees but then reversed course, raising Sixth Amendment right-to-counsel concerns. The move tightens the vise on Maduro after his dramatic arrest and extradition, and adds a constitutional wrinkle to one of the most high-profile international criminal prosecutions in decades.