According to a report by Spain's EFI news agency, electronic court records show that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's defense team requested the withdrawal of criminal charges brought against him on the 2nd on the grounds that Maduro should enjoy immunity as a sovereign head of state. Maduro's lawyer Barry Pollack has filed two motions in court. In the first motion, Pollack argued that the US courts are not competent to sue Maduro because his alleged acts fall within the scope of “official position” and “national power” and should not be borne by Maduro personally as the “de facto head of state.” He also requested that the case be closed “without further prosecution” in order to prevent the same charge from being brought again. If the first motion fails, the second motion only demands that charges of “drug terrorism” against Maduro be dropped. Pollack wrote that the accusation “attempted to prosecute a foreign citizen for acts wholly foreign” and failed to prove that Maduro “intended to harm the United States and its citizens or interests.” The US Attorney's Office must respond to the motion by October 2.

According to a report by Spain's EFI news agency, electronic court records show that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's defense team requested the withdrawal of criminal charges brought against him on the 2nd on the grounds that Maduro should enjoy immunity as a sovereign head of state. Maduro's lawyer Barry Pollack has filed two motions in court. In the first motion, Pollack argued that the US courts are not competent to sue Maduro because his alleged acts fall within the scope of “official position” and “national power” and should not be borne by Maduro personally as the “de facto head of state.” He also requested that the case be closed “without further prosecution” to prevent the same charge from being brought again. If the first motion fails, the second motion only demands that charges of “drug terrorism” against Maduro be dropped. Pollack wrote that the accusation “attempted to prosecute a foreign citizen for acts wholly foreign” and failed to prove that Maduro “intended to harm the United States and its citizens or interests.” The US Attorney's Office must respond to the motion by October 2.