Former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty Thursday in Manhattan federal court to new U.S. charges that they conspired to torture political opponents. The expanded indictment adds torture counts to earlier drug-trafficking allegations.
One America News reported the couple appeared in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in ankle shackles. Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein entered a not-guilty plea for Maduro after Maduro called the new accusations “false accusations and false testimony” and did not enter a clear plea. Flores told the court through an interpreter that she is “completely innocent” and “not guilty.”
What the new indictment alleges
Prosecutors rewrote the indictment to accuse Maduro and Flores of leading a state-backed repression campaign that tortured scores of people, including three Americans, during Maduro’s rule. The pair already faced not-guilty pleas on charges that they used power to help flood the United States with cocaine and other drugs.
Court schedule
- Next hearing: Another pretrial appearance is set for Dec. 17, 2026, according to OANN’s account of the proceeding.
- Capture: U.S. forces seized Maduro and Flores in Caracas in January. They have been held in New York since then.
- Penalty if convicted: OANN reported each could face a mandatory minimum of 50 years if convicted on all charges.
What Maduro said in court
Maduro said he had read the indictment and rejected it “in its entirety.” The judge then entered the not-guilty plea on his behalf. Flores read a Spanish translation of the new charging document before entering her plea.
Primary source: One America News report on the Oct. 15, 2026, Manhattan federal court appearance. Charges and plea outcomes are courtroom facts; allegations in the indictment are unproven until a jury or judge decides the case.
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