United States v. Verdugo-Urquidez

United States Supreme Court

494 U.S. 259 (1990)

Relevant factsFree

Rene Martin Verdugo-Urquidez (defendant), a Mexican citizen with no substantial ties to the United States, was arrested on narcotics charges. U.S. agents, with Mexican authorization but no warrant, searched his homes in Mexico and seized evidence. Verdugo-Urquidez moved to suppress the evidence on Fourth Amendment grounds, and the district court granted the motion, a ruling the Ninth Circuit affirmed. The United States (plaintiff) petitioned for certiorari.

IssueFree

Whether the Fourth Amendment applies to a nonresident alien whose property in a foreign country is searched and seized by United States agents.

Holding & reasoning

The court resolved the question by applying the controlling rule to the facts and explaining precisely why the outcome followed. Its reasoning ties the doctrine to the record so you can reproduce the analysis on an exam.

Procedural history, concurrence & dissent

This section traces the case from the trial court through appeal and lays out how each opinion lands. Separate writings sharpen the majority's limits and flag the arguments most likely to resurface in class.

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