Maduro and Wife deny new US torture conspiracy charges

Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have pleaded not guilty to new US charges accusing them of conspiring to torture political opponents and other detainees during Maduro’s rule.

The couple appeared before US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein in a federal court in Manhattan on Thursday, October 15, following the unsealing of an expanded indictment last week.

The new charges add to an existing criminal case in which both defendants are accused of narcoterrorism, cocaine trafficking and weapons-related offences.

Maduro rejected the allegations during the hearing, telling the court through a Spanish interpreter that the accusations against him were false.

He said he rejected the entire indictment.

Judge Hellerstein interrupted his remarks and indicated that the court would record his not-guilty plea.

Flores also denied wrongdoing, telling the court through an interpreter that she was completely innocent.

According to the US Department of Justice, the superseding indictment, unsealed on October 8, accuses Maduro and Flores of participating in a conspiracy to commit torture, including against US citizens detained by Venezuelan authorities.

Prosecutors allege that the campaign was part of a broader effort to suppress political opposition and maintain control.

The indictment describes alleged abuses involving detainees, including beatings, electric shocks and other forms of mistreatment.

Prosecutors also allege that Venezuelan officials were involved in carrying out the abuses.

The accusations have not been proven in court, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty.

The new charges significantly widen the case against the couple, who were previously charged with offences linked to alleged cocaine trafficking and cooperation with armed groups.

They have denied the earlier allegations as well.

The US Justice Department's announcement outlines the additional allegations and the charges retained in the expanded indictment.

Maduro and Flores were captured by US forces during a military operation in Caracas on January 3, 2026, and transferred to New York, where they remain in detention.

Their lawyers have challenged the prosecution, arguing that Maduro should be protected by head-of-state immunity and that the case should be dismissed.

The legal dispute also raises questions about the circumstances of the couple’s capture.

The case is among the most consequential US prosecutions of a former foreign leader in recent years.

It combines allegations of international drug trafficking with claims of human rights abuses committed under a government accused of using state institutions to target opponents.

The trial, which had previously been scheduled for June 2027 in connection with the drug-trafficking case, has been moved to June 14, 2027, following the addition of the torture-related charges, according to Reuters.

Further pretrial proceedings are expected before the case reaches trial.

The proceedings will determine whether prosecutors can substantiate their allegations against Maduro and Flores, who continue to deny the charges.