Maduro and Cilia Flores Retain High-Profile U.S. Lawyers: Former Assange Defender and Ex-Federal Prosecutor Take the Case

Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are set to appear in a Manhattan federal court on Monday, flanked by U.S. agents amidst unprecedented media attention. In a strategic move indicating a fierce judicial battle ahead, the couple has secured the services of prominent U.S. attorneys.

Maduro has chosen Barry J. Pollack, a seasoned criminal defense attorney with 35 years of experience handling complex federal cases. Pollack is internationally recognized for his pivotal role in defending Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, in a lengthy legal saga.

Pollack's involvement in Assange’s release after more than a decade of litigation underscores the gravity of the charges Maduro faces, which include narcoterrorism, conspiracy, drug trafficking, and money laundering.

Meanwhile, Cilia Flores will be represented by Mark E. Donnelly, a former federal prosecutor from the Southern District of Texas, a leading jurisdiction for drug trafficking and organized crime cases in the United States.

Now a partner at a boutique law firm in Houston, Donnelly brings over two decades of experience in negotiating deals with federal prosecutors. He filed a special admission request on Monday to litigate in New York.

Media reports describe a tense scene outside the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Federal Courthouse, where supporters and opponents of the arrest gathered early. Some decried the arrest as an “illegal abduction,” while others supported the U.S. operation that led to the couple's detention in Caracas.

Maduro was observed arriving at a heliport in southern Manhattan and was escorted under heavy security to the courthouse, while Flores remained detained at the MDC-Brooklyn.

The formal indictment alleges that Maduro and Flores are among six individuals accused of conspiring with drug trafficking networks for 25 years. Although the Venezuelan leader has consistently denied all allegations, he now faces his most challenging legal battle, far from power and in a judicial system that prioritizes evidence over ideological rhetoric.

The case has sparked a regional political uproar. Following Maduro's arrest, President Donald Trump declared that the United States would “govern” Venezuela for an indefinite period, stirring concern both domestically and internationally.

In Caracas, the Supreme Court denounced the arrest as a “kidnapping” and swore in Delcy Rodríguez as interim leader, vowing to resist what they termed foreign aggression.