Nicholas Maduro arrived in New York early Monday under heavy security, stepping off a helicopter in handcuffs while surrounded by armed US federal agents.
The Venezuelan leader had spent the previous night in a high-security federal detention centre in Brooklyn before being taken to a courthouse in Manhattan to answer criminal charges filed against him.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro was brought into American custody to “face justice.” However, several international law scholars have raised serious concerns about how the Trump administration carried out the operation, arguing it may have breached international legal standards on the use of force.
While the legality of the action under international law is being widely debated, US domestic law presents a more uncertain picture. Despite the controversy, legal experts say Maduro could still be tried in US courts regardless of how he was brought into the country.
The Trump administration insists its actions were lawful, accusing Maduro of “narco-terrorism” and facilitating the shipment of massive quantities of cocaine into the United States. Bondi said all officials involved acted professionally and strictly followed US laws and procedures.
Maduro has consistently rejected claims that he oversees drug trafficking operations. Appearing in a New York court on Monday, he pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Although the case centres on alleged drug-related crimes, the prosecution follows years of international criticism of Maduro’s leadership. In 2020, United Nations investigators accused his government of severe human rights abuses that could amount to crimes against humanity, implicating senior officials, including the president. The US and several allies have also accused Maduro of manipulating elections and have refused to recognise him as Venezuela’s legitimate leader.
Legal experts argue that even if the allegations are true, drug trafficking is considered a law enforcement issue under international law, not an armed threat that would justify a foreign military operation. Critics say forcibly removing Maduro from Venezuela without UN approval violates the UN Charter, which restricts the use of force against sovereign states.
Despite the Trump administration describing the mission as a law enforcement action rather than a military one, scholars remain unconvinced. They note that international law generally requires extradition—not unilateral arrest—for suspects located in another country.
Maduro’s legal team has already signalled plans to challenge the legality of the operation that transferred him from Caracas to New York.
Still, US courts now have jurisdiction over the Venezuelan leader. Legal precedent suggests that even if his removal violated international law, the trial itself is likely to proceed, as US courts have historically allowed cases to continue regardless of how defendants were brought into the country.
