Photo courtesy of Anadolu
Nicolas Maduro is seeking to have the US criminal case against him thrown out, arguing that American courts have no authority to prosecute him because Venezuela continues to regard him as its sitting president.
Lawyers for Maduro filed a dismissal motion Wednesday in federal court in New York, raising head-of-state immunity as a central challenge to the drug-trafficking and narco-terrorism charges he faces.
The filing argued that Maduro’s recognition by Venezuela as its head of state prevents the court from exercising jurisdiction over him. The claim sets up a legal fight over whether such immunity can shield him from a US criminal prosecution.
Maduro, 63, has been detained in New York since January, when US forces captured him during a military operation in Caracas and brought him to the United States to face the pending charges.
His wife, Cilia Flores, was also captured during the operation. The couple are being held without bail at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
US prosecutors have accused Maduro of working with drug trafficking organizations in a conspiracy to move cocaine into the United States. Maduro and Flores have denied the allegations and entered not guilty pleas.
During his arraignment, Maduro maintained that he remained Venezuela’s president and rejected the accusations against him. His latest motion now asks the court to resolve his immunity claim before the case reaches trial.
The court has scheduled the trial for June 1, 2027. If the dismissal bid is rejected, Maduro would continue defending himself against charges that could result in life imprisonment if he is convicted.