Afghanistan, Sept. 3 -- Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has asked a U.S. federal judge to dismiss drug trafficking charges against him, arguing that he is protected from prosecution under international law as the head of a sovereign state.
Maduro's lawyer, Barry Pollack, made the argument in a filing before U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein in Manhattan federal court. The defense says heads of state are protected by sovereign immunity and that Maduro's alleged conduct was carried out as part of his official duties.
The charges formed the basis for a U.S. military operation in Caracas on Jan. 3, when American forces captured Maduro and brought him to the United States. He is being held in a federal jail in Brooklyn and has p...