Maduro and Cilia Flores hire high-profile lawyers in the U.S.: One defended Assange and the other was a federal prosecutor

Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are appearing this Monday before a federal court in Manhattan, escorted by U.S. agents and under unprecedented media attention. Hours before the initial hearing, both formalized the hiring of high-profile attorneys in the United States, a clear indication that the legal battle will be as tough as the political one.

Maduro chose Barry J. Pollack, a veteran criminal defense attorney with 35 years of experience in complex federal cases, internationally known for being the lead counsel for Julian Assange.

Pollack was a key figure in the agreement that allowed the founder of WikiLeaks to leave after more than a decade of litigation, a precedent that now weighs on a process where the Venezuelan leader faces charges of narcoterrorism, conspiracy, drug trafficking, and money laundering.

Cilia Flores, for her part, will be represented by Mark E. Donnelly, former federal prosecutor for the Southern District of Texas, one of the most active jurisdictions in the United States in cases of drug trafficking and organized crime.

Donnelly, now a partner at a boutique firm in Houston, knows the judicial system from the inside and has over two decades of experience negotiating agreements with federal prosecutors. His application for special admission to practice in New York was submitted to the court on Monday.

According to press reports, the scene outside the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Federal Court was tense. Supporters and opponents of the capture gathered early on, with some denouncing what they describe as an "illegal kidnapping," while others supported the U.S. operation that led to the couple's arrest in Caracas.

Maduro was seen arriving at the heliport in South Manhattan and was transported under heavy security to the courthouse, while Flores remained detained at the MDC-Brooklyn.

According to the formal accusation, Maduro and Flores are among six individuals charged with conspiring for 25 years with drug trafficking networks. The Venezuelan dictator has repeatedly denied all allegations, but he now faces the most delicate process of his political career, removed from power and before a judicial system that knows little of ideological rhetoric and much of evidence.

The case has sparked a regional political storm. President Donald Trump, following Maduro's capture, confirmed that the United States will "govern" Venezuela for an indefinite period, statements that have caused alarm even within the country itself.

In Caracas, the Supreme Court referred to the capture as a "kidnapping" and swore in Delcy Rodríguez as interim leader, while promising to resist what it deemed a foreign aggression.