Deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores pleaded not guilty on October 15, 2026 in Manhattan federal court to new U.S. charges accusing them of conspiring to torture political opponents and American citizens. Captured during a January 2026 U.S. military raid in Caracas, the couple faces charges including narco-terrorism and drug trafficking. Judge Alvin Hellerstein set trial for June 14, 2027, where each faces at least 50 years in prison if convicted.
Courtroom pleas and appearance
- ▪U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein entered a not-guilty plea on behalf of Nicolás Maduro on October 15, 2026 after interrupting Maduro's attempts to speak against the indictment.
- ▪Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores pleaded not guilty in Manhattan federal court on October 15, 2026 to U.S. federal charges of conspiracy to commit torture.
- ▪Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores appeared at the October 15, 2026 federal court hearing in Manhattan wearing tan prison garb with ankle shackles.
- ▪Cilia Flores stated she was completely innocent during her October 15, 2026 arraignment on torture conspiracy charges in Manhattan federal court.
Allegations of state-sponsored torture
- ▪A revised federal indictment accuses Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores of directing a state-sponsored campaign of torture against political dissidents, military personnel, and three U.S. citizens.
- ▪The U.S. indictment details torture methods in Venezuela including electric shocks, asphyxiation, beatings, rape, forced nudity, sleep deprivation, and psychological abuse.
- ▪Federal prosecutors allege Cilia Flores helped build Venezuela's repressive torture system, supported the 2014 interrogation plan, and explicitly ordered the torture of specific detainees.
- ▪Federal prosecutors allege Nicolás Maduro personally recommended torture methods, received updates on victims, and in 2014 instructed Venezuelan enforcers to 'squeeze them harder' during interrogations.
Legal proceedings and potential penalties
- ▪Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 50 years in federal prison if convicted on all counts.
- ▪Attorneys for Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores argued that U.S. prosecution is unlawful because former heads of state and first ladies possess sovereign immunity.
- ▪U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein rescheduled the trial start date for Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores to June 14, 2027 to allow preparation for the new torture charges.
Capture and detention in US custody
- ▪Since their January 2026 capture in Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores have been held in federal custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
- ▪U.S. armed forces captured Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores at their home in Caracas, Venezuela during a January 3, 2026 military raid ordered by President Donald Trump.
Venezuela's interim government
- ▪Following Nicolás Maduro's capture in January 2026, former Executive Vice President Delcy Rodriguez assumed leadership in Venezuela and increased economic and political cooperation with the United States.
- ▪Under interim leader Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela enacted reforms opening its oil sector to foreign investment and agreed to grant the United States control over a large portion of its reserves.
Prior drug trafficking charges
- ▪Prior to the torture indictment, Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores pleaded not guilty to U.S. federal charges including narco-terrorism, cocaine importation conspiracy, and firearms offenses.
- ▪U.S. prosecutors accused Nicolás Maduro of using Venezuelan state power to partner with drug cartels designated as terrorist groups to import cocaine into the United States.
- ▪Nicolás Maduro publicly characterized the U.S. drug trafficking and narco-terrorism charges as a pretext for gaining access to Venezuela's oil reserves.
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