The funds must have been made available after Mar 5, 2026, and cannot come from Venezuela’s US-regulated oil sales.

Since removing Maduro in early January, the United States has effectively controlled the export of Venezuelan oil, with the funds going into special accounts overseen by Washington.

According to the Friday filing, the defense acknowledges the sanctions waiver and is lifting its motion to dismiss the charges, for now.

Maduro has declared himself a “prisoner of war” and pleaded not guilty to the four counts he faces: conspiracy for “narco-terrorism,” conspiracy for cocaine importation, possession of machine guns and destructive devices and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.