Former Venezuelan President NicolĂĄs Maduro is due in a US court today to face narcoterrorism charges, a test of laws that have had limited courtroom success in the past.
Washington has accused Maduro of heading the Cartel de los Soles, which allegedly funneled large quantities of drugs into the US, using the accusations as the justification for ousting him from power.
The narcoterrorism statute has only produced four convictions since it was implemented in 2006, two of which were later overturned, according to Reuters. Prosecutors have also argued that Maduro should not be allowed to use Venezuelan government funds to pay for his defense, âan early skirmish in a long and complex legal war,â The Economist argued.