Saturday’s capture of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro isn’t the first time the U.S. entered a Latin American country by force to seize its leader on drugs charges.
Why it matters: What comes next is likely years of court battles over how Maduro is charged, how he’s treated and where he’s held.
Flashback: In December 1989 the U.S. invaded Panama, accusing dictator Manuel Noriega of drug trafficking and other crimes.
- Noriega surrendered in January 1990 to American forces, who brought him back to the U.S. for trial.
- As opposed to the lightning-fast seizure of Maduro, Noriega’s capture took weeks, during which time he holed up in the Vatican’s embassy. (U.S. troops notoriously blasted the embassy with loud rock music to annoy him into surrender.)
The intrigue: Once in the U.S., Noriega fought a yearslong court battle to be considered a prisoner of war, rather than a common criminal.
- Noriega ultimately won that fight and was declared a POW, rather than a regular inmate. That entitled him to certain privileges like wearing his uniform and being housed in less restrictive conditions.
- After 20 years in U.S. custody he was extradited to France, and later returned to Panama, where he died in 2017.
Where it stands: Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) posted to X early Saturday morning that he was told Maduro would be brought to the U.S. to stand criminal trial.
- But he offered no further details on when, where or how.
What to watch: It wasn’t clear as of early Saturday where Maduro would be held, or tried.
- But the legal saga is all but certain to take years to play out.
