Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores appeared in a New York City courtroom on Thursday to plead not guilty to new charges of conspiracy to commit torture, which were unsealed last week.
The couple was brought to the United States following a military operation in January, during which they were taken from Caracas. They have since been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where both are reported to have lost weight during their detention.
The new charges come on top of earlier allegations, including narco-terrorism, cocaine importation conspiracy, and possession of machineguns and destructive devices, to which the pair had previously also pleaded not guilty.
The new indictment alleges that Maduro and Flores "created and maintained a violent system of repression" that saw thousands of Venezuelans killed, harassed, and tortured. Alleged methods included electric shock, asphyxiation, rape, forced nudity, prolonged isolation, starvation, punishment cells, and psychological torture.
Prosecutors allege the couple oversaw a system of torture, arbitrary detention, and violence targeting individuals viewed as disloyal or as a threat to their illegal narcotics activity, as well as a means of repression against the political opposition. US prosecutors did not accuse Maduro or Flores of directly carrying out the torture themselves.
The indictment points to several specific instances in which Maduro and Flores allegedly identified individuals to be targeted, requested updates on the torture, or suggested techniques. In one instance from 2014, Maduro allegedly urged enforcers to work harder to extract information from detained military personnel. "Squeeze them harder," he allegedly said. In another instance, he is accused of suggesting sleep deprivation and pouring water on detainees.
US Attorney Jamie McDonald stated last week that the couple had for more than two decades "engaged in a conspiracy to commit torture, including the torture of United States citizens, in addition to the narcotics trafficking and weapons offences already charged."
During Thursday's hearing, Maduro addressed the court through a translator, saying he denied the "false accusations and false testimony against me." He added: "I reject this document entirely." Judge Alvin Hellerstein interrupted Maduro and entered a formal plea of not guilty on his behalf.
Flores also spoke through a translator. "I am completely innocent. I am not guilty," she said.
Both Maduro and Flores appeared in beige jail uniforms. Their lawyers have argued that Maduro holds the status of a sovereign head of state and is therefore immune from prosecution, and that his removal from Venezuela by US forces was illegal. Flores previously sought release on bond, citing heart problems and other health issues, but the petition was unsuccessful.
Maduro became president of Venezuela in 2013. His most recent re-election, in 2024, was contested by opposition figures and outside monitors. Since his abduction in January, the country has been led by Interim President Delcy Rodriguez, his former vice president, who initially condemned the US action as an "illegal, illegitimate kidnapping" but has since maintained close ties with the Trump administration, including overseeing efforts to open Venezuela's state-owned oil industry to foreign companies.
A trial is scheduled for June 2027.
