U.S. Government Responds to Maduro’s Immunity Arguments
Editors’ Note: This post is cross-published at Just Security. In April, I wrote that Nicolás Maduro was likely to argue that he is immune from prosecution for cocaine importation, weapons possession, and narco-terrorism in U.S. court as Venezuela’s current or former head of state and that such arguments were likely to fail. As expected, Maduro…
Continue ReadingIs Nicolás Maduro Immune from Prosecution in U.S. Courts?
Nicolás Maduro was back in U.S. district court last week. According to news reports, the hearing focused on whether he can use Venezuelan government funds to pay his lawyers. Once that question is resolved, he is expected to raise several objections to the court’s jurisdiction to try him. Maduro may argue that the illegality of…
Continue ReadingMaduro’s Capture Was Not a Legal “Law Enforcement Operation”
The international legal implications regarding the U.S. capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro are profound. I want to clarify just one misconception that appears to be growing in importance. The Trump Administration has downplayed the military aspects of the operation by asserting that the U.S. military was simply aiding a law enforcement effort to serve…
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