{
  "id": 5237556,
  "title": "Venezuela’s Maduro seeks dismissal of US charges, citing immunity",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/venezuelas-maduro-seeks-dismissal-of-us-charges-citing-immunity",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-03T03:45:24.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3366178/venezuelas-maduro-seeks-dismissal-us-charges-citing-immunity"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has asked a US judge to dismiss criminal drug trafficking charges against him, claiming his immunity as head of a sovereign nation. The charges, filed in Manhattan federal court, led to a US military raid and his capture in Caracas on January 3. Maduro, who has been imprisoned in Brooklyn federal jail since, denies the allegations and is set to stand trial on June 1, 2027, if his efforts to have the case dismissed fail. International law generally protects sitting heads of state from prosecution abroad, but applying this principle in criminal cases is a contentious issue. Maduro's lawyer, Barry Pollack, argued in a motion that the US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein lacks jurisdiction due to Venezuelan sovereignty and the nature of the alleged crimes as part of Maduro's official duties. US authorities have not recognized Maduro as the country's president since 2019, and courts typically defer to the US president on such matters. Legal experts believe Maduro faces a difficult road, as precedent shows US courts are usually reluctant to grant such immunity claims.",
  "summary": "Ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro urged a US judge on Wednesday to dismiss criminal drug trafficking charges against him, arguing he should be immune from prosecution as the head of a sovereign country. The charges, filed in Manhattan federal court, formed the basis for the US military’s raid on Caracas and capture of Maduro on January 3. The Venezuelan leader, who has been held in a…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 9,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Bloomberg",
        "title": "Maduro Asks US Court to Dismiss Charges in Drug-Trafficking Case",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/maduro-asks-us-court-to-dismiss-charges-in-drug-trafficking-case",
        "published": "2026-09-02T23:25:07.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Venezuela’s Maduro asserts immunity, asks US judge to dismiss charges",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/venezuelas-maduro-asserts-immunity-asks-us-judge-to-dismiss-charges",
        "published": "2026-09-03T00:22:10.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "Venezuela’s Maduro asserts immunity in US court, urges dismissal of charges",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/venezuelas-maduro-asserts-immunity-in-us-court-urges-dismissal-of",
        "published": "2026-09-03T01:22:21.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Venezuela's Maduro asserts immunity, urges US judge to dismiss charges",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/venezuelas-maduro-asserts-immunity-urges-us-judge-to-dismiss-charges-5226328",
        "published": "2026-09-03T01:54:27.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Venezuela's Maduro asserts immunity, urges US judge to dismiss charges",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/venezuelas-maduro-asserts-immunity-urges-us-judge-to-dismiss-charges",
        "published": "2026-09-03T02:11:25.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Ex-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and wife seek to end drug charges case on immunity grounds",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/ex-venezuelan-president-nicolas-maduro-and-wife-seek-to-end-drug",
        "published": "2026-09-03T02:56:09.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Associated Press",
        "title": "Ex-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and wife seek to end drug charges case on immunity grounds",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/ex-venezuelan-president-nicolas-maduro-and-wife-seek-to-end-drug-5245583",
        "published": "2026-09-03T04:23:02.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Euronews",
        "title": "Former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife look to end drug charges on immunity grounds",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/former-venezuelan-president-nicolas-maduro-and-his-wife-look-to-end",
        "published": "2026-09-03T04:41:25.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}