Key facts
- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is seeking to dismiss U.S. drug charges.
- Maduro's legal team is citing head-of-state immunity as grounds for dismissal.
- The defense contends that any alleged actions were part of his official duties.
- Maduro's lawyers argue he possesses immunity as the de facto head of state.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is seeking to have U.S. drug trafficking charges against him dismissed, asserting that he is protected by head-of-state immunity. His legal team has argued that any alleged acts were undertaken as part of his official duties as the de facto leader of Venezuela.
Maduro's lawyers contend that this immunity applies even if he is not formally recognized by the U.S. government. The core of their argument is that the actions in question were official state actions, thereby falling under the protection of sovereign immunity.