Nicolás Maduro and his wife back in federal court for first time since arraignment

The ousted Venezuelan leader and his wife Cilia Flores have moved to dismiss the case, arguing that the U.S. government has improperly restricted them from funding their defense.

Ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are scheduled to appear in a Manhattan federal courtroom Thursday, where their lawyers are expected to argue that their drug trafficking indictment should be thrown out because the U.S. government is blocking their ability to pay for their defense.

Last month, Maduro and his wife moved to dismiss the case, arguing that the U.S. government improperly restricted their ability to fund their legal defense by blocking access to certain Venezuelan government-controlled funds.

Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York have disputed the couple’s argument and have asked a judge to impose strict limits on how evidence is handled in the criminal case against them.

Supporters of Nicolas Maduro outside of a federal court house in New York City on Thursday.Spencer Platt / Getty ImagesThe Justice Department argued Maduro and his wife are permitted to use personal and jointly held funds but not money tied to sanctioned Venezuelan entities.

In a filing submitted to Judge Alvin Hellerstein, prosecutors have also requested a restrictive protective order that would bar Maduro and his wife from sharing discovery materials with four co-defendants who remain at large.