The US often relies on a legal principle know as the Ker-Frisbie Doctrine to justify such abductions.
After months of posturing, military buildup, and war of words, the United States has captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, bringing an end to his controversial regime after nearly 13 years in power.
Maduro, along with his wife, who has been flown out of Venezuela, is likely to be taken to the US, where he faces several federal charges related to drug trafficking.
The capture of Maduro, a sitting head of state, by the US has sent shockwaves across the world.
CAN US ABDUCT THE HEAD OF ANOTHER COUNTRY?
But this is not the first time the US has captured or abducted a sitting head of state. The US often relies on a legal principle know as the Ker-Frisbie Doctrine to justify such abductions.
In two similar cases in 1886 ( Ker v. Illinois and 1952 Frisbie v. Collins), the US Supreme Court held that an illegally abducted defendant can still be tried in the jurisdiction to which they were brought to in the US.
Here is a list of other heads of state captured by the US
MANUEL NORIEGA
The first such case involves Manuel Noriega, the former military dictator of Panama. Noriega was the de facto ruler of Panama from 1983 to 1989, despite never officially serving as president. Noriega was once close to the US and CIA and helped them traffic weapons and cash to Washington-backed forces in Latin America. Noriega was also involved in drug trafficking and after his fallout with the US, he was indicted on drug trafficking charges.
In December 1989, a massive US force of 27,000 soldiers and 300 aircraft invaded Panama. On the fifth day of the invasion, Noriega took shelter inside the Vatican Embassy. After ten days of hiding inside the Holy See’s embassy, Noriega eventually surrendered on January 3, 1990. He was flown to Miami, where he was tried and convicted. Noriega was sentenced to 40 years in prison, but was extradited to France in 2010 and later to Panama in 2011. He died of a brain tumour in 2017.
SADDAM HUSSEIN
Following the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, the then-president, Saddam Hussein, was deposed. He was captured by the US forces in December 2003 near Tikrit, and his eventual execution in 2006 after a trial for crimes against humanity.
JEAN-BERTRAND ARISTIDE
In 2024, the then-President of Haiti, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, claimed that he was kidnapped by the US, which forced him out of power under threat of bloodshed as rebels closed in, and flown to exile. The US has denied allegations of political kidnapping and maintains that it only facilitated his voluntary departure to prevent a “bloodbath” during an active rebellion.
JUAN ORLANDO HERNÁNDEZ
Another notable case is that of Juan Orlando Hernández, the former president of Honduras. Unlike others in this list, Hernández was not abducted by the US. Hernández was extradited to the US after he was arrested in Honduras in February 2022. In April 2022, Hernández was extradited to the US. In June 2024, he was sentenced to 45 years in prison on charges of drug trafficking. However, in November 2025, he was pardoned by Donald Trump and released from US prison.
