Was Maduro’s arrest legal? – The Catholic Thing

Mark Movsesian, First Things

Tuesday, January 13, 2026

How can the United States arrest a foreign head of state for violating U.S. narcotics laws when the alleged conduct occurred outside the country, and the foreign state did not consent to the arrest? The prosecution of Nicolás Maduro, like the Manuel Noriega prosecution more than three decades ago, is likely to go forward. Critics predict that this will backfire on the United States. But the action may well have been legal.