Maduro Pleads Not Guilty to New US Torture Charges

Nicolás Maduro pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan federal court on Thursday to newly added torture charges in a revised U.S. drug-trafficking indictment, marking the first time the deposed Venezuelan leader has answered the expanded allegations in person. Appearing shackled at the ankles in a tan jail uniform, the 63-year-old Maduro told Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein through a Spanish interpreter that the accusations were false accusations and false testimony, adding, I reject this document entirely. His wife, Cilia Flores, 70, also pleaded not guilty, saying I am completely innocent. Judge Hellerstein entered not-guilty pleas for both defendants. The case stems from the wider US-Venezuela relations crisis that followed the January capture of Maduro and Flores during Operation Absolute Resolve.

What Are the New Torture Charges Against Maduro?

The superseding indictment, filed Oct. 8 in the Southern District of New York, expands the original 2020 narco-terrorism case. Prosecutors now allege that Maduro and Flores conspired to commit torture as part of a violent system of repression stretching back to at least 1999. The document accuses the couple of overseeing a state-sponsored campaign that targeted political opponents, military officers and detainees, with methods including electric shocks, asphyxiation, rape, forced nudity, prolonged isolation, starvation, punishment cells and psychological threats. At least three Americans were allegedly among the tortured, according to court papers. Maduro is quoted as telling officials in 2014 to squeeze them harder and threatening to kill one prisoner's child; Flores, a former attorney general, allegedly ordered specific acts of torture. Neither is accused of personally torturing anyone.

Key Alleged Torture Methods

• Electric shocks and asphyxiation
• Rape and forced nudity
• Prolonged isolation and starvation
• Punishment cells and psychological threats

What Happened at the New York Hearing?

Thursday's proceeding at the Thurgood Marshall U.S. Courthouse was the first court appearance since prosecutors added the torture conspiracy count. Both defendants wore beige jail uniforms and appeared to have lost weight since their capture in January. Maduro answered the judge's questions in Spanish, at times repeating his rejection of the document. Defense lawyers argued that the pair retain sovereign immunity as a former head of state and first lady, and that the U.S. military raid that seized them from their Caracas home on Jan. 3 was illegal. The judge set a trial date of June 14, 2027, moving it from the earlier June 1 date. If convicted on all counts, each faces a mandatory minimum of 50 years in prison.

Legal and Diplomatic Implications for U.S.-Venezuela Relations

The expanded indictment sharpens the legal and diplomatic stakes. Maduro and Flores remain jailed in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center, and their defense hinges on claims of sovereign immunity in US courts and illegal abduction. International legal experts have noted that the January raid raised questions under the UN Charter. Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, has denounced the operation as a kidnapping, while the U.S. has reopened its Caracas embassy and lifted US sanctions on Venezuela. The torture charges could complicate any future diplomatic engagement, as they add human-rights allegations to the existing drug trafficking prosecution that carries a $15 million reward for information leading to Maduro's conviction.

What U.S. Officials Say

Attorney General Todd Blanche said the indictment shows how Maduro and Flores abused the public trust for over 25 years, while FBI Director Kash Patel described a regime that trafficked cocaine and tortured detainees. The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, said the superseding indictment reflects evidence that the couple ran a violent system of repression that included U.S. citizens. Prosecutors are expected to present testimony from former detainees and military officers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Maduro charged with?

He faces narco-terrorism, cocaine importation conspiracy, weapons offenses, and a new conspiracy to commit torture charge.

Did Maduro plead guilty or not guilty?

Maduro pleaded not guilty; Judge Alvin Hellerstein entered the plea on his behalf after he rejected the document.

When is Maduro's trial?

The trial is set for June 14, 2027, in Manhattan federal court.

How were Maduro and Flores captured?

They were seized in a U.S. military raid on their Caracas home on Jan. 3, 2026, during Operation Absolute Resolve.

What is the potential sentence?

If convicted on all counts, each faces a mandatory minimum of 50 years in prison.

What Comes Next

As the June 2027 trial approaches, the case will test the reach of U.S. criminal law over former foreign leaders and the legality of the operation that brought Maduro to New York. The expanded torture allegations ensure the Venezuela political crisis remains a focal point of U.S. foreign policy.