Maduro Engages High-Profile Lawyer Barry J. Pollack for His Defense in Manhattan Trial

Criminal defense attorney Barry J. Pollack, known for negotiating Julian Assange's release, has formalized his role as Nicolás Maduro's attorney before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

The Citizen

05/01/2026 2:39pm

Original article: Maduro saca carta pesada: ficha al abogado de Assange para su juicio en Manhattan

Amidst the judicial spectacle that Washington aims to orchestrate following the detention of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores, Venezuelan President Maduro has made a significant move in the U.S.: he has hired renowned attorney Barry J. Pollack as his defender in Manhattan, the legal expert who engineered the strategy that led to Julian Assange’s release.

This development was officially confirmed on Monday when Pollack filed an «appearance of counsel» document in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, formally notifying the court of his role as legal representative for Maduro in the criminal proceedings initiated against him by the United States.

The «appearance of counsel» document submitted by Barry J. Pollack (shown in the photo) to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, formally confirming his legal representation of Nicolás Maduro.

Defense Attorney for Maduro: Who Is Barry Pollack?

Pollack is a criminal defense lawyer with 35 years of experience in complex federal cases related to national security, espionage, and financial crimes. He gained international prominence in 2024 when he was credited with negotiating an agreement with the Department of Justice that facilitated Julian Assange’s exit after a 15-year legal battle, where the WikiLeaks founder pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of espionage.

Now, that same negotiation and litigation expertise is being leveraged for the Venezuelan case. Pollack is a partner at the law firm Harris St. Laurent & Wechsler, with offices in Washington and New York, and has been involved in high-profile cases such as Enron.

Cilia Flores’ Legal Team in New York

Simultaneously, Cilia Flores will be represented by Mark E. Donnelly, an attorney specializing in tax offenses and organized crime, with over two decades of experience in complex criminal defense. Donnelly served for more than ten years in the Department of Justice as a federal prosecutor for the Southern District of Texas, a major hub for drug trafficking and fraud prosecutions.

With these prominent additions to their defense teams, it is clear: in the face of a politically heavy judicial offensive, Maduro and Flores are opting for seasoned defenders well-versed in the U.S. federal system.