Venezuela’s Maduro asserts immunity, urges US judge to dismiss charges

NEW YORK - Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro urged a US on Sept 2 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 Jan 3 operation in which the US military raided Caracas and captured Maduro.He has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to go on trial starting June 1, 2027 if his effort to dismiss the case is unsuccessful.The principle that sitting heads of state are immune from prosecution abroad is a longstanding tenet of international law seen as fundamental to diplomacy.Maduro’s push to persuade Manhattan-based US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein to dismiss the case will test US courts’ general reluctance to apply interna