The United States has amended licenses so that the Venezuelan government can fund defense attorneys for Nicolás Maduro and his wife, allowing payments under specified conditions without violating sanctions.

Payments to defense counsel will come from funds available to Venezuela’s government after March 5, 2026.

A New York federal court ruling permits Maduro and Cilia Flores de Maduro to have their defense funded by the Venezuelan government, following updated licenses from the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Judge Alvin Hellerstein appeared skeptical about an immediate threat from Maduro and his wife, noting they remain in federal custody.

The defendants deny the charges, asserting innocence in a case tied to drug trafficking and conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States.

Judge Hellerstein signaled he would not dismiss the case and acknowledged sanctions serve national security and foreign policy interests, with foreign policy decisions resting with the executive branch.

Prosecutors argued sanctions reflect legitimate national security and foreign policy aims, and that the judiciary cannot direct the Treasury to alter sanctions.

Prosecutors also stressed that sanctions serve national security and foreign policy interests, and that foreign policy is controlled by the executive branch, not the courts.

The defense has withdrawn motions to dismiss without prejudice, and both sides seek a status conference in about 60 days, with a pause on the speedy-trial clock to accommodate discovery review and pretrial motions.

Maduro and Flores argued that paying their defense would infringe on the right to a fair trial and filed motions to dismiss, which were later withdrawn after issues were resolved, though they reserve the right to refile if problems recur.

This is breaking news and will be updated with additional information.

The judge underscored the defendant’s right to effective counsel as paramount, indicating possible different outcomes if payments to Maduro’s counsel were blocked.