Maduro Denies Torture Charges in New York Court Appearance
WHO:
ABC News - Nicolas Maduro, Cilia Flores
ABC News - Federal prosecutors
WHAT:
ABC News - Maduro was charged by superseding indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit torture.
ABC News - Flores was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit torture and one count of narcoterrorism.
ABC News - Maduro's lawyer argued in a court filing last month that he is immune from prosecution because he was the leader of a sovereign nation.
ABC News - Maduro and Flores pleaded not guilty to charges of torturing individuals, including Americans.
ABC News - Maduro rejected the charges, stating, "I reject this document in its entirety" and called the accusations "false."
ABC News - Maduro was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit torture; Flores was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit torture and one count of narcoterrorism.
ABC News - Both previously pleaded not guilty to narcoterrorism and drug trafficking charges.
WHERE:
ABC News - New York courtroom
WHEN:
ABC News - Maduro and Flores are scheduled to stand trial on June 14, 2027.
ABC News - The indictment was unsealed last week.
WHY:
ABC News - The indictment alleges Maduro's government tortured Americans because he "assigned blame to the United States for the instability in Venezuela."
ABC News - The indictment claims Maduro authorized the use of torture against specific individuals and oversaw a system of repression against the political opposition.
HOW:
ABC News - Maduro is accused of presiding over a system of repression and torture in Venezuelan prisons.
ABC News - Flores is accused of helping Maduro develop the system of torture.
(UPDATED October 15, 2026 21:01 UTC)
President Maduro has been charged with conspiracy to commit torture, according to a superseding indictment. Additionally, Flores faces charges for conspiracy to commit torture and narcoterrorism. Maduro's lawyer previously argued in a court filing that he should be immune from prosecution due to his position as the leader of a sovereign nation.
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(UPDATED October 15, 2026 18:00 UTC)
In a New York courtroom, President Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty to charges of torturing individuals, including Americans, with Maduro rejecting the accusations as "false." The indictment alleges that Maduro's government tortured Americans while blaming the United States for Venezuela's instability, and it claims he authorized torture against specific individuals while overseeing a system of repression. Both are scheduled to stand trial on June 14, 2027, facing charges of conspiracy to commit torture, with Flores also charged with narcoterrorism.