Who Is Barry Pollack? US Attorney Who Defended Julian Assange Set To Represent Maduro In Court

Nicolas Maduro, the Venezuelan president who was captured by US troops during an audacious raid in Caracas, arrived in New York on Monday under heavy security ahead of his first court appearance on charges related to narco-terrorism and drug trafficking.

Maduro, 63, was flown by helicopter to a Manhattan heliport near the federal courthouse before being transferred into an armoured vehicle under heavy security. He was seen wearing a tan prison jumpsuit and bright orange shoes and appeared to be limping slightly as he was escorted by agents from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Court filings show the deposed Venezuelan leader will be represented by Barry Pollack, an experienced US trial attorney who represents Wikileaks founder Julian

Assange and brokered his plea deal last summer. Pollack, a veteran Washington trial lawyer, filed a notice of appearance on Monday as Maduro’s attorney in the narco-terrorism case, ahead of a hearing, according to Bloomberg.

Who Is Barry Pollack?

Barry Pollack, an advocate from Harris St Laurent & Wechsler LLP, is widely recognised as one of the leading trial lawyers in the United States. In one of his significant accomplishments, Pollack negotiated a plea agreement that resulted in the immediate release of Julian Assange from prison on espionage charges.

Pollack regularly handles matters involving allegations of wrongdoing related to financial and business crimes, public corruption, and national security, including cases involving alleged antitrust violations, fraud in government contracting, and fraud related to securities, taxes, health care or banking and financial services, according to his profile.

He has over 30 years of experience in representing individuals, including executives and high-ranking government officials, as well as corporations and other organisations, in sensitive and often high-profile trials and investigations. Pollack is also a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, a Fellow in the American Board of Criminal Lawyers, and a former president of the National Association of Criminal Defence Lawyers.

Charges Against Maduro

The US unveiled an indictment against Maduro, accusing him and his allies of having “abused their positions of public trust and corrupted once-legitimate institutions to import tons of cocaine into the United States” for more than 25 years.

Maduro was indicted on four counts: narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices. The case was brought by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, an office within the Justice Department famous for its fierce independence and aggressive prosecutions.

Maduro’s case is expected to be overseen by US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein because he was assigned to the 2020 case brought against Maduro. As the case unfolds, Maduro is likely to argue to seek dismissal on the grounds that he is immune, or shielded, from criminal prosecution because he is a foreign head of state.

(with inputs from agencies)