US EditionWhat the Noriega case can tell us about Maduro’s upcoming legal battle
U.S. prosecutors may rely on Noriega precedent and a 1989 Justice Department memo to counter Maduro's immunity claims in a landmark drug-smuggling case.
- On Monday, deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro appears in a New York courtroom after an indictment was unsealed Saturday charging him and five co-defendants with cocaine shipments, echoing Manuel Noriega's case.
- Decades-Old rulings left U.S. federal courts unwilling to consider the legality of Noriega's forcible transfer from Panama, as his defense argued immunity and illegal invasion claims.
- A 1989 OLC memo by William Barr argued presidents have authority for forcible abductions abroad, and Barr later oversaw Maduro's indictment as attorney general.
- Because the State Department treats Nicolás Maduro as a fugitive, U.S. courts are poised to proceed despite sanctions complicating his defense and counsel hiring under U.S. Treasury Department rules.
- Amid questions about immunity, courts could reassess precedent as Maduro claims three popular mandates, recognized by China, Russia and Egypt for his 2024 reelection, while President Donald Trump's operation raises constitutional concerns without Congress authorization.
62 Articles
62 Articles
Associated Press News
Maduro’s case will revive a legal debate over immunity for foreign leaders tested in Noriega trial
When Nicolás Maduro appears in a New York courtroom to face U.S. drug charges, he'll be following follow a path taken Panama's Manuel Noriega, another strongman who was toppled by American forces.
What the Noriega case can tell us about Maduro’s upcoming legal battle
Over three decades ago, the US government executed the shocking arrest of the leader of a foreign country: Panama’s Manuel Noriega. The dictator’s case may prove to be a guide for the prosecutors, defense attorneys and judges now involved in the case against Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro.
The United States has considered him a fugitive and he could follow the same path as former Panamanian President Manuel Antonio Noriega.
FLASHBACK: Manuel Noriega’s capture precedent for trying foreign leaders in the US
After days on the run, Noriega sought refuge in the Vatican embassy in Panama City, where US troops applied sustained psychological pressure until he surrendered. He was immediately flown to the United States to face federal charges. Noriega was later tried in Miami on drug trafficking, racketeering, and money laundering charges, convicted in 1992, and sentenced to decades in prison. At the time of his capture and transfer to the US, the America…
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