Archive · 4 Oct 2026
US Says Maduro Cannot Claim Immunity in Narco-Terror Case
US prosecutors say Nicolás Maduro can be tried in a US court and cannot use immunity to stop the case.
Maduro’s lawyers say he should be protected because he was the leader of a country.
The government says the US stopped recognizing him as Venezuela’s leader in 2019.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured in a US military raid on January 3.
They face charges involving drugs, terrorism, and weapons.
Both say they are not guilty.
They are being held in Brooklyn while they wait for trial.
A judge will consider whether Flores can be released on bond.
US prosecutors told a Manhattan federal court that Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores are not entitled to immunity from prosecution.
Maduro’s defense argued last month that he is immune because he was head of a sovereign country.
Prosecutors said courts should defer to the Trump administration’s 2019 withdrawal of recognition of Maduro as Venezuela’s head of state.
Maduro and Flores were captured in a US military raid on Jan. 3 and charged with drug, narco-terrorism, and weapons offenses; both pleaded not guilty.
They are being held in Brooklyn as the case proceeds; a Manhattan judge is scheduled to hear Flores’ bond request on Thursday.
- Who
- Nicolás Maduro, Cilia Flores, and US federal prosecutors.
- What
- Prosecutors argue Maduro and Flores are not entitled to immunity from the US criminal case against them.
- When
- The filing was made late Friday; the US raid took place Jan. 3. Flores’ bond request is scheduled for Thursday.
- Where
- The case is in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York; Maduro and Flores are held in Brooklyn.
- Why
- Maduro’s defense sought dismissal on the grounds that he is immune as a former head of a sovereign country; prosecutors dispute that claim.
US prosecutors
Maduro’s defense
Immunity from prosecution
US prosecutors
Prosecutors say Maduro and Flores are former officials of a rogue state and are not entitled to immunity.
Maduro’s defense
Maduro’s defense argues he is immune from US prosecution because he was head of a sovereign country.
Recognition of Maduro
US prosecutors
The US says courts should defer to President Donald Trump’s 2019 decision to withdraw recognition of Maduro as Venezuela’s head of state, and notes that the recognized government has not sought immunity for him.
Maduro’s defense
Maduro’s defense maintains that his status as head of a sovereign country protects him from prosecution.
- Case
- US v. Maduro, 11-cr-00205
- Court
- US District Court, Southern District of New York
- Charges
- Cocaine importation conspiracy, narco-terrorism conspiracy, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices
- Defendants’ pleas
- Maduro and Flores have pleaded not guilty
- Capture
- Both were captured in a US military raid on Jan. 3
- Detention
- Held in a federal lockup in Brooklyn, New York
- Potential sentence
- If convicted, they could spend the rest of their lives in prison