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Nicolas Maduro seeks dismissal of federal drug trafficking charges based on sovereign immunity

Former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have filed a motion to dismiss federal charges against them in a New York court. Their legal team argues that Maduro is exempt from prosecution because he was recognized as the sitting head of state by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela at the time the charges were brought. The lawyers contend that sovereign immunity is a bedrock principle of customary international law and that the court lacks jurisdiction over a foreign leader in his official capacity. Federal prosecutors accuse Maduro of leading a drug-trafficking organization for over two decades, conspiring with narco-terrorists to import cocaine into the United States. The couple was captured by U.S. forces in Caracas during a military operation in January and extradited to New York. While the Treasury Department has authorized Venezuela to fund Maduro's legal defense, the couple's lawyers also argue that the indictment violates due process because the crimes allegedly took place in or were aimed at the United States. Maduro is scheduled to appear in court in November to begin oral arguments for the motion to dismiss.

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