U.S. Court Bars Nnamdi Kanu Lawyer From Representing Venezuela’s Maduro, Rejects Unauthorized Legal Bid
By: Israel Adeleke
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports as gathered that a U.S. federal judge in Manhattan blocked attorney Bruce Fein, who also represents imprisoned Nigerian separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu, from representing Venezuela’s deposed President Nicolás Maduro in his high-profile U.S. narcotics and terrorism case, after finding that Fein was never authorised by Maduro to act on his behalf.
OTN News further reports as gathered that Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein rules that Fein lacks legal authority to appear for Maduro because he was not directly hired or retained by the Venezuelan leader.
OTN News observes from information gathered that the decision settled a contentious dispute in the Southern District of New York over who legitimately represents Maduro in federal court.
Fein, a longtime lawyer known for his constitutional work and as legal counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra in Nigeria, who was sentenced to life in prison on terrorism charges in 2025, had filed to join Maduro’s defence team soon after the Venezuelan leader’s dramatic arrest and transfer to New York.
Maduro, who is facing charges in the United States related to alleged cooperation with drug cartels to ship substantial quantities of cocaine into U.S. territory, had been arraigned in early January alongside his wife, Cilia Flores.
His current attorney, Barry J. Pollack, a prominent Washington lawyer who defended WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, represented him at that hearing.
Fein had succeeded initially in entering the court on Thursday to appear for Maduro, but Pollack quickly filed documents contesting the move, arguing that Fein lacked Maduro’s consent to represent him.
Pollack stated that he personally confirmed with Maduro that the Venezuelan defendant did not know Fein and had never communicated with him, let alone retained him as counsel.
In response, Fein tells The New York Times that money was not his motivation and that time was “of the essence,” claiming he was contacted by members of Maduro’s family who believed the president needed trusted legal assistance.
He asserted that he received no funds or promises of payment for his efforts.
Judge Hellerstein rejected Fein’s argument that “individuals credibly situated within President Maduro’s inner circle” appointed him, emphasising that unnamed third parties have no standing to retain legal counsel on a defendant’s behalf.
The judge also denied Fein’s request to privately question Maduro in court to verify whether he wanted Fein to represent him, stating that only Maduro, not unidentified associates can formally retain an attorney.
“If Maduro wishes to retain Fein, he has the ability to do so,” Judge Hellerstein writes in his ruling. “Fein cannot appoint himself to represent Maduro.”
OTN News further observes that the legal clash added a complex chapter to Maduro’s ongoing U.S. case, where his detention and charges have drawn widespread international attention.
Maduro and Flores remain held without bail in Brooklyn and are due back in court on March 17.
The incident also echoes past moments in Fein’s career; in November 2021 he faced a similar situation at the Abuja Division of Nigeria’s Federal High Court, where a judge denied him entry to see Nnamdi Kanu during proceedings, despite Kanu’s appeals for his presence.
The ruling underscores the critical importance of clear and direct attorney-client relationships in high-stakes legal disputes, particularly in cases involving international figures and complex geopolitical implications.
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