Piracies and Felonies Clause of the Constitution, after de novo review, we discern no error. Cf. United States v. Perez, 956 F.2d 1098, 1101 (11th Cir.1992) (reviewing issue of district court’s subject matter jurisdiction de novo). The Constitution empowers Congress "[t]o define and punish Piracies and Felonies on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations.” U.S. Const., art. I, § 8, cl. 10. We have noted that "this circuit and other circuits have not embellished the MDLEA with [the requirement of] a nexus [between a defendant’s criminal conduct and the United States].” United States v. Rendon, 354 F.3d 1320, 1325 (11th Cir.2003), cert. denied, 541 U.S. 1035, 124 S.Ct. 2110, 158 L.Ed.2d 720 (2004); see also United States v. Moreno-Morillo, 334 F.3d 819, 824 (9th Cir.2003) (<HOLDING>); United States v. Ledesma-Cuesta, 347 F.3d
holding that congress properly acted within the scope of the piracies and felonies clause in enacting the mdlea holding that congress acted within constitutionally conferred authority in enacting mdlea holding congress did not exceed its authority in enacting the mdlea holding that in enacting title vii congress abrogated eleventh amendment immunity holding generally that congress validly abrogated state immunity in enacting title vii