Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro Claims Immunity, Urges US Judge To Dismiss Drug Charges: 'This Court Lacks Jurisdiction'

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Nicolas Maduro, the long-time President of Venezuela, who was ousted from power and captured by the US in January this year, has claimed that he still enjoys sovereign immunity as the head of a state. 63-year-old Maduro, who is currently in US captivity, is facing several charges, including drug trafficking. On Wednesday, he urged ​a federal judge to dismiss criminal charges against him, arguing he should be immune from prosecution.

What Nicolas Maduro's legal team said

“This court lacks jurisdiction with respect to Mr. Maduro, who is recognized by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela as its head of state,” Maduro's legal team argued in a court filing, according to Bloomberg.

Maduro 's lawyer, Barry Pollack, made the assertion of immunity in a motion to dismiss Maduro's indictment. According to Reuters, Manhattan-based US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein had ​given Pollack a deadline of Wednesday to file the motion.

Also Read | Who is Alex Saab? Venezuela deports Nicolas Maduro ally to US for second time

"This unprecedented prosecution violates the absolute immunity from criminal jurisdiction to which heads of state and foreign officials acting in their official capacities have been entitled for hundreds of years," Pollack wrote, according to Reuters.

Pollack wrote that Maduro was falsely accused and "vehemently denies" the allegations.

According to Bloomberg, in January, Maduro's lawyer told the judge he anticipated submitting“voluminous and complicated” court filings to dismiss charges or to limit the evidence the government can use to prove the case. From the start, Pollack has said that Maduro is immune from prosecution.

Maduro argues that he, like other national leaders, is not subject to prosecution in other countries.

US does not recognise Maduro's presidency

Maduro, who has been held in a Brooklyn federal jail since his seizure, has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to go on trial in June 2027, if his effort to dismiss the ​case is unsuccessful.

Maduro, who succeeded Hugo Chavez as the president of Venezuela in 2013, remained in the position until he was captured by the US in a daring midnight operation in Caracas. It should be noted that while Maduro claims to still be the president of Venezuela, several countries, including the US, have not recognised his presidency following the 2018 election.

Also Read | What is 'Discombobulator', weapon Trump says US used to capture Nicolas Maduro

Though official data showed Maduro won the election, in which prominent opposition leaders such as Leopoldo Lopez and Henrique Capriles were legally barred from contesting, with a popular vote of 67.8 per cent, most international observers have held that the results were rigged.

Charges against Maduro

In the US, Maduro faces several charges, including:

Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy: Allegations of partnering with groups like the FARC, ELN, and the Sinaloa Cartel to use Venezuelan state power to flood the US with cocaine.

Cocaine Importation Conspiracy: Charges tied to orchestrating the shipment of hundreds of metric tons of cocaine per year.

Firearms and Machine Gun Offenses: Possession and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices in connection with narco-trafficking activities.

MENAFN02092026007365015876ID1111615176