An Argentine federal judge has formally requested the United States to extradite former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to face charges of crimes against humanity. The extraordinary legal maneuver comes weeks after Maduro’s capture by U.S. military forces and his subsequent detention in New York on separate narco-terrorism allegations.
Judge Sebastián Ramos issued the extradition warrant on Wednesday, invoking Argentina’s principle of universal jurisdiction that enables prosecution of severe international crimes regardless of where they were committed. The case, initially filed in Buenos Aires in 2023 by human rights organizations representing Venezuelan victims, alleges Maduro oversaw systematic repression against political opponents and protesters during his presidency.
The plaintiffs include Venezuelan citizens who suffered torture, arbitrary detention, and enforced disappearance at the hands of state security forces. Argentina’s foreign ministry must now present the formal request to the Trump administration, though legal experts consider compliance unlikely given Maduro’s ongoing federal trial in Brooklyn for allegedly facilitating the shipment of thousands of tons of cocaine into the United States over two decades.
Argentina has emerged as a unique jurisdiction for international human rights cases, with its legal system permitting investigation of crimes against humanity beyond its borders. The South American nation has previously pursued cases ranging from atrocities under Spain’s Franco dictatorship to military violence against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.
The development has received endorsement from Argentina’s right-wing President Javier Milei, a prominent regional ally of Donald Trump who applauded the U.S. military operation that captured Maduro on January 3rd. Human rights organizations have hailed the extradition request as a significant milestone for victims seeking accountability, with the Argentine Forum for the Defense of Democracy praising the courageous stance against powerful figures.