By: Staff Writer
January 9, 2026
Nicolas Maduro, the deposed president of Venezuela who is now in US custody facing charges of drug trafficking, has pleaded not guilty to those charges in a New York court on Monday.
“I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man. I am still president of my country,” Maduro said through an interpreter, before being cut off by U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein. Hellerstein ordered Maduro held until a March 17 hearing.
Maduro’s lawyer, Barry Pollack, accompanied Maduro to court on Monday. Pollack is a partner at Harris St Laurent & Wechsler, a law firm based on New York’s Wall Street in the financial district of lower Manhattan, just a few minutes walk from the federal court where Maduro appeared.
“He is the head of a sovereign state,” Pollack said in court, adding that there are “issues about the legality of his military abduction.”
The judge presiding over the matter is U.S. District Court Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who was appointed to the federal bench in 1998 by former President Bill Clinton and was confirmed by the Senate through unanimous consent.
Known by colleagues and lawyers as a no-nonsense jurist with an independent streak, Hellerstein presided over the 2019 federal civil trial of Harvey Weinstein, brought by 16 women who accused the former movie mogul of sexual assault.
Meanwhile, Houston-based defense attorney Mark Donnelly, a former federal prosecutor, has been retained by Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores.
Donnelly is the former senior advisor to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas and was a federal prosecutor for 12 years before going into private practice. He is now a partner in the Houston law firm Parker Sanchez & Donnelly.
“With over 100 jury trials under his belt, Mark not only is extremely comfortable in the courtroom, but also has the knowledge and experience to guide clients through all phases of representation,” his bio on his law firm’s website says.
Donnelly is a proficient Spanish speaker and was once designated as a bilingual assistant prosecutor for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
“We look forward to reviewing and challenging the evidence the government has,” Donnelly said in a statement to Houston Public Media about representing Flores. “While we would love to present our side now, we will wait to do so in court at the appropriate time. The first lady is aware that there is a long road ahead and is prepared.”