A U.S. federal judge raised concerns on Thursday about whether sanctions preventing Venezuela from funding the legal defense of Nicolás Maduro could violate his constitutional rights, though he did not dismiss the drug-trafficking charges against the former leader.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, appeared in a Manhattan courtroom wearing prison uniforms following their capture and transfer to New York City earlier this year.
The couple have pleaded not guilty to charges including narcoterrorism conspiracy and remain in custody in Brooklyn awaiting trial. Their legal team argues that U.S. sanctions blocking Venezuelan state funds prevent them from hiring counsel of their choice, infringing upon their Sixth Amendment rights. Prosecutors, however, contend the sanctions serve legitimate national security interests.
U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein expressed skepticism toward the government’s position, noting that Maduro no longer poses a national security threat and emphasising the importance of the right to legal representation.
The case follows a dramatic U.S. special forces raid in Caracas that resulted in Maduro’s arrest. Adding to the tension, Donald Trump indicated that further charges may be forthcoming. The prosecution relies in part on a rarely tested narcoterrorism statute, which has seen limited success in past trials.
Maduro has dismissed the charges as politically motivated, claiming they mask U.S. ambitions over Venezuela’s oil resources. Meanwhile, shifting leadership in Caracas has led to a slight thaw in U.S.-Venezuela relations.
Overnight Iranian strikes on an air base in Jordan damaged multiple U.S. aircraft and left one without a wing, American media reported. Meanwhile, ...
Ukrainian forces struck a Russian oil refinery in Siberia and a seaport in Dagestan in the past 24 hours, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy s...
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are considering restoring passenger ferry services across the Caspian Sea, six years after the route was suspended....
Four people were killed, including a child, in Ukrainian strikes on the Russian port city of Novorossiysk overnight, according to the governor of the Krasnodar region. Ukraine's drone forces commander, Robert Brovdi, said Russian military ships were destroyed in the attacks.
Wildfires have broken out in Türkiye’s Antalya province, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate as strong winds fuelled the flames.
A TV channel was struck during a live broadcast on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as Russian strikes on Kyiv killed at least three people, the city's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Meanwhile, drones hit civilian infrastructure in Russia's southwestern Saratov region.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) allegedly launched two ballistic missile attacks against a U.S. Navy warship over the past two days.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Wednesday they attacked two U.S. vessels and eight oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, calling the strikes a response to a U.S. attack on five Iranian tankers.
Ukrainian forces struck a Russian oil refinery in Siberia and a seaport in Dagestan in the past 24 hours, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He will meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday to discuss air defences for Ukraine over winter.
Iceland’s government plans to introduce legislation in February to permanently ban commercial whaling, potentially leaving Norway and Japan as the world’s only countries still allowing the practice.
U.S. President Donald Trump put himself and the Iran war at the centre of the Republican midterm campaign on Wednesday, rallying voters in Dallas with promises of cash payments and a prediction that the conflict would end after November’s elections.
Oil has crossed the $100-a-barrel mark again, but for Gulf countries this is not simply good news. Brent reached about $100.07 on Wednesday, its highest level since July, as the U.S.-Iran war and attacks on Saudi energy facilities raised fresh fears about supplies.
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