Maduro defies U.S. authorities: Seeks dismissal of case by invoking immunity as former head of state

Venezuela’s former leader Nicolas Maduro, together with his wife Celia Flores, were taken into custody by U.S. forces during a military operation in Caracas in January. Following their detention, the couple was extradited to the United States and has since been held in pretrial detention at a federal facility in the Brooklyn area.

They face a legal process in New York, where Maduro is accused of four criminal offenses, including narco-terrorism, according to an indictment brought against him and his former associates. The court sessions for Maduro and Flores are scheduled to begin on June 1, 2027, a date confirmed by the federal court there at the end of July.

However, before the trial begins, the former president has taken legal action to dismiss all charges. He has petitioned federal judge Alvin Hellerstein with a request to strike down the indictment linked to international drug trafficking and narcotics-related terrorism.

In the memorandum his defense team has submitted to magistrate Hellerstein, it is emphasized that the U.S. judicial system has no jurisdiction to criminally prosecute either him or his wife. The lawyers rely on the core argument that Maduro enjoys legal immunity due to his position as the former head of a foreign state, thereby seeking the closure of the case.