Not-guilty pleas entered for Maduro and wife on US torture conspiracy charges

Former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, appeared in a federal court in New York on Thursday, 15 October 2026. They faced newly added charges of conspiracy to commit torture. Not-guilty pleas were entered on the new charges.

Maduro, 63, rejected the charges in court as false accusations. He did not directly enter a plea. Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein then entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf. The BBC quoted Maduro, speaking through a translator, as saying: "I reject this document entirely."

Flores told the court through an interpreter that she was innocent. The BBC quoted her as saying: "I am completely innocent. I am not guilty."

The torture charges come from a revised indictment made public the week before the hearing. They were added to an existing drug-trafficking case. The couple had already pleaded not guilty to earlier charges, which include drug-trafficking or narco-terrorism conspiracy and weapons offences.

US forces took the couple into custody during a military raid in Caracas in January 2026. They have been held in New York since then. Some reports say they are in a Brooklyn jail. They have asked the court to dismiss the charges, saying they have immunity as the leader and first lady of a sovereign country. Their trial is scheduled for June 2027.

A US judge denied a request by Flores to be released pending trial. She cited health problems, including heart problems. The BBC described a request for release on bond; France 24 described a request for home detention.

Maduro led Venezuela from 2013 until his capture. His former vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, now leads the country as interim leader. According to France 24, the hearing lasted 35 minutes. Al Jazeera reported that prosecutors did not accuse the couple of directly taking part in torture.

What is disputed

DW reported that the judge set the trial to begin on 14 June 2027. The Guardian reported only that both sides want the date moved from 1 June to 14 June. The Guardian and SCMP say the judge entered pleas for both defendants; the BBC and DW describe Flores pleading herself. The BBC reports the indictment refers to "thousands of Venezuelans" killed, harassed and tortured; other outlets cite "scores of victims, including three Americans".

What each side says

US prosecutors allege the couple "created and maintained a violent system of repression". They allege methods including electric shock, asphyxiation, beatings and rape. They say Maduro authorised torture of specific people and Flores ordered some of it.

Maduro calls the case "false accusations and false testimony against me", according to the BBC. Defence lawyers argue the couple are immune and that seizing Maduro by force was illegal. Rodríguez initially called the US action an "illegal, illegitimate kidnapping", according to Al Jazeera.

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not identify the alleged victims or describe the evidence. They do not describe any ruling on the immunity motion.

Analysis

The case raises legal questions beyond the individual charges. A ruling on the immunity motion could shape whether the trial goes ahead and how US courts treat former heads of state taken into custody by force. Torture prosecutions of foreign officials in the United States are rare, so the case may draw attention from legal experts and governments. The International Criminal Court's separate investigation adds another layer. Outcomes remain open: the court could dismiss some charges, the trial date could shift, or the case could proceed in June 2027 as scheduled.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.