Over a legal career extending well beyond thirty years, Barry Pollack has built a reputation as one of the United States’ most experienced trial lawyers, representing corporate executives, senior political figures, and defendants in some of the country’s most closely watched federal cases. Among his notable achievements is securing a rare full acquittal for a former executive of Enron following the company’s dramatic collapse, an outcome that placed him among a small group of defence lawyers able to prevail in such complex prosecutions.
On Monday, Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro appeared for the first time before a US federal court in New York, where he entered a plea of not guilty to an extensive list of criminal charges. While the case itself has drawn global attention, focus has also turned to the lawyer now leading Maduro’s defence. That responsibility has fallen to Barry J. Pollack, a veteran Washington-based attorney widely recognised for representing high-profile clients, including Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks.
Maduro formally retained Pollack, a partner at Harris, St. Laurent & Wechsler, ahead of Monday’s hearing, according to court filings. Pollack is particularly well known for negotiating the 2024 plea agreement that resulted in Assange’s release, bringing an end to a prolonged and contentious legal standoff with US authorities. That case significantly reinforced Pollack’s standing as a lawyer capable of navigating prosecutions that intersect with national security, diplomacy, and international law.
Throughout his career, Pollack has represented a wide spectrum of clients, ranging from senior business leaders to politically exposed individuals, often in cases carrying substantial legal and public consequences. In addition to his work in major federal trials, he has gained respect for his extensive pro bono efforts. One of the most prominent examples is his role in overturning the double murder conviction of Martin Tankleff, who spent 17 years in prison before being exonerated. Pollack later represented Tankleff in related civil litigation, which concluded with a multi-million-dollar settlement.
Maduro’s wife, former first lady Cilia Flores, is being represented separately by Mark E. Donnelly, a former US Justice Department prosecutor. Donnelly confirmed in court that he would act as counsel for Flores.
Maduro and Flores appeared together at a federal courthouse in Manhattan, where they face charges that include narco-terrorism and drug trafficking conspiracies. Both defendants pleaded not guilty during the hearing, which took place only days after US Special Forces captured Maduro in Caracas in what has been described as Washington’s most significant intervention in Latin America since 1989.
During the brief proceedings, Maduro spoke through a court-appointed translator and maintained his innocence. According to reporters present in the courtroom, he told the judge that he had been “kidnapped” and denied all allegations outlined in the indictment. Flores also rejected the charges, stating that she was “completely innocent.”
The couple were transferred to the courthouse from the Metropolitan Detention Center under heavy security, travelling first by helicopter and then by armoured vehicle. The entire hearing lasted approximately 30 minutes.
The case is being overseen by Alvin Hellerstein, a US District Judge who has served on the federal bench since 1998. He scheduled the next court appearance for March 17.
US prosecutors allege that Maduro played a central role in a long-running conspiracy to smuggle large quantities of narcotics into the United States. The indictment includes charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and related weapons offences. Flores is also named in the case, along with several senior Venezuelan officials still inside the country, including the interior minister and Maduro’s son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra. The alleged leader of the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua is also listed as a defendant, although a prior US intelligence assessment concluded that the Venezuelan government did not exercise control over the group.
