NEW YORK
A dispute has erupted over who will represent former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in his U.S. drug trafficking case, just days after his historic arraignment in a Manhattan courtroom.
The conflict centers on two attorneys: Barry Pollack, who appeared alongside Maduro in court, and Bruce Fein, a former Justice Department official from the Reagan administration. Pollack accused Fein of trying to enter the high-stakes case without authorization.
The disagreement reached a federal judge Friday after Fein filed paperwork indicating he was joining the defense team. Pollack swiftly objected, asking U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein to rescind approval for Fein’s involvement.
In a letter to the court, Fein said he had been approached by “individuals credibly situated” within Maduro’s inner circle or family, who sought his help navigating what he called the “extraordinary, startling, and viperlike circumstances” of the former president’s capture and prosecution.
Fein acknowledged he has had no direct contact with Maduro, who is being held at a federal jail in Brooklyn, but claimed Maduro “had expressed a desire” for his assistance.
Judge Hellerstein asked Fein to let Maduro settle the matter himself, highlighting the unusual and contested nature of the legal representation as the case moves forward.
The dispute underscores the complex legal and diplomatic tensions surrounding the prosecution of the former Venezuelan leader.
By James Kisoo
