Maduro and Wife Seek Dismissal of US Drug Charges on Immunity Grounds

Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have asked a U.S. federal judge to dismiss drug trafficking charges against them, arguing they are protected by sovereign immunity as the leader and first lady of a foreign country. The motion, filed in Manhattan federal court on Wednesday, sets up a legal battle over the application of international law in a case stemming from a U.S. military raid that captured Maduro in Caracas in early January. In court papers, lawyers for Maduro argued that a judge is required by law to reject the indictment because it cannot be brought against a sitting foreign leader. They stated that no American court has ever presided over the criminal trial of a foreign leader recognized by their own country as the sitting head of state at the time charges were brought. The defense team, led by attorney Barry Pollack, wrote that this reflects a rule older than common law: heads of state are exempt from the criminal process of any national court but their own. Pollack added that Maduro "vehemently denies the allegations" and was falsely accused.