Ousted Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are set to appear Thursday in a Manhattan federal courtroom for the first time since their January arrest, as their legal team pushes to have sweeping drug trafficking charges dismissed.

At the center of the hearing is a dispute over whether the U.S. government has improperly blocked the couple from accessing funds to pay for their defense. Lawyers for Maduro argue that restrictions tied to U.S. sanctions on Venezuela have prevented them from using government-controlled money, violating his constitutional rights and undermining his ability to mount a legal defense.