Former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty to new charges of torture against U.S. citizens in a federal courtroom in New York City on Thursday. The charges allege that the couple conspired to commit torture, adding to existing charges of narcoterrorism related to cocaine trafficking and possession of machine guns, resulting in a superseding indictment.
During the arraignment, Maduro stated, "I reject this document in its entirety." The new torture charge carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison. Maduro had previously entered a not guilty plea to the narcoterrorism charges in January, asserting, "I’m innocent. I’m not guilty. I am a decent man."
In early January, President Donald Trump ordered the capture of Maduro from Caracas, leading to a brief U.S. military operation known as Operation Absolute Resolve, which aimed to bring Maduro and Flores back to the U.S. to face justice. The operation reportedly lasted less than three hours.
Currently, Maduro and Flores are being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, while Maduro's former Vice President, Delcy Rodriguez, governs Venezuela. Their case is being handled by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. A trial is scheduled for June 14, 2027, with a final pretrial conference set for June 8, 2027, overseen by Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who was appointed by President Clinton.