 "From Maduro to Saddam, a look at foreign heads of state taken into US custody")
After months of posturing, military build-up and sharp exchanges, the United States has captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, effectively ending his controversial rule of nearly 13 years.
Maduro and his wife have reportedly been flown out of Venezuela and are likely to be taken to the US, where he faces multiple federal charges linked to drug trafficking.
The detention of a sitting head of state by the US has sent shockwaves across the world. However, this is not the first time Washington has captured or taken custody of a foreign leader.
The US has often cited the Ker–Frisbie Doctrine to justify such actions. Based on two Supreme Court rulings — Ker v. Illinois in 1886 and Frisbie v. Collins in 1952 — the doctrine holds that a defendant can be tried in the US even if they were brought into the country through illegal abduction.
Other foreign leaders captured by the US
Manuel Noriega (Panama)
Manuel Noriega, Panama’s former military strongman, was the de facto ruler of the country from 1983 to 1989. Once a close ally of the US and the CIA, Noriega later fell out with Washington and was indicted on drug trafficking charges.
In December 1989, the US launched a large-scale invasion of Panama involving around 27,000 troops and hundreds of aircraft. Noriega took refuge in the Vatican Embassy before surrendering on January 3, 1990. He was flown to Miami, tried and convicted, and sentenced to 40 years in prison. He was later extradited to France in 2010 and then to Panama in 2011. Noriega died in 2017 after suffering from a brain tumour.
Saddam Hussein (Iraq)
Following the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, President Saddam Hussein was removed from power. He was captured by US forces near Tikrit in December 2003. Saddam was later tried for crimes against humanity and executed in 2006.
Jean-Bertrand Aristide (Haiti)
In 2024, former Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide alleged that he was kidnapped by the US and forced into exile as rebel forces advanced. The US rejected the claim, stating that it only facilitated his departure to prevent widespread bloodshed during the rebellion.
Juan Orlando Hernández (Honduras)
Former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández was arrested in Honduras in February 2022 and extradited to the US two months later. In June 2024, he was sentenced to 45 years in prison on drug trafficking charges. In November 2025, Hernández was pardoned by Donald Trump and released from prison.
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