Legal fight unfolds over who will defend Maduro in U.S. court

A dispute has broken out in a Manhattan federal courtroom over who should officially represent former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro in his unprecedented criminal case in the United States.

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, entered not-guilty pleas earlier this week to U.S. federal charges accusing them of collaborating with drug cartels to send massive quantities of cocaine into the United States. The couple was transferred from Caracas to Brooklyn following a U.S. operation that resulted in their capture.

Barry Pollack, the attorney currently listed as Maduro’s counsel, has told Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein that another lawyer, Bruce Fein, is trying to insert himself into Maduro’s defense without proper authorization. Pollack insists that Maduro has not met or communicated with Fein and has never agreed for him to be part of the legal team. He is asking the judge to remove Fein from the court docket.

Fein, a longtime conservative attorney, is pushing back. Although he acknowledges he has had no direct contact with Maduro in custody, Fein said individuals close to the detained leader reached out to him, indicating Maduro wanted his help. He suggested the judge question Maduro privately to confirm whom he wants as his lawyer, citing the confusion surrounding his arrest and limited communication.

Prosecutors have not yet taken a public position on the feud between the defense lawyers.