U.S. prosecutors are seeking the protection of the files related to the trial of Venezuela's former authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro, arguing that witnesses and the investigation as a whole face "significant risks" to their security.
In a letter to judge Alvin Hellerstein, the prosecutors argue that witnesses could be subjected to "intimidation or obstruction" if certain information is disclosed.
The request comes after Maduro's defense requested to share evidence with other four people accused who are not formally facing the trial and have not been apprehended by U.S. authorities: Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, former Interior Minister Ramon Rodriguez Chacin, Maduro's son Nicolas Maduro Guerra and Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, known as "Niño Guerrero" and alleged leader of Tren de Aragua gang.
The prosecutor's office said it is not concerned about the good faith of the defendant's lawyers, but that of the co-accused. They added that there is an "intolerable risk" that they will seek to tamper witnesses or destroy evidence.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, faced a new last Thursday. There, judge Hellerstein rejected tossing the case over claims that he is being prevented from using Venezuelan state funds to pay for his defense.
Maduro's current team claimed this month that the U.S. prosecutor's office acknowledged that under Venezuelan law they are entitled to use state funds to pay for their defense.
At the hearing, Maduro's lawyer, Barry Pollack, argued that U.S. sanctions are preventing Maduro from accessing Venezuelan government funds to pay for his defense.
Pollack told the court that assigning public defenders would strain resources meant for defendants who cannot afford legal representation, adding that it "doesn't make sense in a case where you have someone other than the U.S. taxpayer standing ready, willing and able to fund that defense," according to the Associated Press.
Prosecutors countered that allowing access to those funds would undermine sanctions policy. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Wirshba said the restrictions are tied to national security interests, arguing that permitting their use "would undermine the sanctions" imposed on Venezuelan officials.
Maduro has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and previously described himself as a "prisoner of war" following his arrest. The case is a rare instance of a former head of state being prosecuted in U.S. courts and raises unresolved legal questions about jurisdiction and the circumstances of his capture.
