Kidnapped Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have pleaded not guilty to new torture-related charges in a United States court, rejecting the allegations as false as their legal battle with Washington intensifies.

 Kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Wife Plead Not Guilty to US Torture Charges.

Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have pleaded not guilty to new torture-related charges in a United States court, rejecting the allegations as false as their legal battle with Washington intensifies.

Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, appeared before a federal court in New York on Thursday, October 15, 2026, to answer new allegations accusing them of conspiring to torture political opponents and other individuals detained under the Venezuelan government.

The couple rejected the allegations, maintaining their innocence in a case that has further escalated tensions surrounding Venezuela's political leadership, the United States' intervention in the country and the legal authority of Washington to prosecute a former foreign head of state.

Maduro, who was kidnapped by US forces in Venezuela in January and transferred to New York to face criminal charges, strongly objected to the indictment during the court proceedings.

According to reports from the hearing, he described the accusations as false and declared his rejection of the indictment in its entirety.

His wife, Flores, also denied the allegations, telling the court that she was completely innocent and not guilty.

The appearance marks another significant development in the couple's ongoing legal battle with the US government, which has expanded its prosecution beyond the original allegations involving drug trafficking and weapons offences.

US Prosecutors Expand Charges Against Maduro and His Wife.

The latest charges were announced by the US Department of Justice on October 8, 2026, through a revised indictment that includes an accusation of conspiracy to commit torture.

US prosecutors allege that Maduro and Flores were involved in a system of repression in which Venezuelan government officials targeted political opponents, military personnel suspected of disloyalty and other individuals perceived as threats to the administration.

The indictment also alleges that abuses extended to US citizens detained in Venezuela.

According to American prosecutors, the alleged campaign involved methods including beatings, electric shocks, asphyxiation and other forms of physical and psychological abuse.

Prosecutors contend that the alleged abuses were intended to suppress opposition, obtain information from detainees and help maintain the government's hold on power.

However, these claims remain allegations presented by the prosecution. Maduro and Flores have denied the accusations, and the court proceedings have not established their guilt.

The US Justice Department has stated that the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Alleged Torture Campaign.

One of the incidents highlighted in the indictment concerns an alleged 2014 meeting during which Maduro reportedly directed officials to detain military personnel suspected of involvement in activities against his government.

According to the prosecution, Maduro urged officials to intensify their efforts to obtain information from detainees who resisted questioning.

The indictment further alleges that Flores supported the proposed approach during the meeting.

US prosecutors argue that such incidents form part of a broader pattern in which state institutions were allegedly used to intimidate opponents and extract information through abusive treatment.

The allegations are particularly serious because they concern the possible use of government authority and security institutions against individuals considered political or military threats.

Nevertheless, the prosecution's account has yet to be tested through a full trial, and the defendants retain the right to challenge the evidence and contest the charges in court.

Maduro Calls the Allegations False.

During Thursday's hearing, Maduro rejected the revised indictment rather than simply responding to the judge's request for his plea.

He reportedly stated that he rejected the document in its entirety and described the accusations as false.

The judge subsequently directed that a plea of not guilty be entered on his behalf.

Flores also entered a not-guilty plea, insisting that she was completely innocent.

Their responses reflect the defence position that the charges should not be accepted as established facts.

The couple's lawyers have also challenged the US prosecution on legal grounds, arguing that Maduro and Flores should benefit from immunity connected to their former positions as Venezuela's president and first lady.

The immunity argument raises difficult questions about the relationship between national sovereignty, international law and the ability of domestic courts to prosecute foreign political leaders.

The court will have to consider the legal arguments presented by the defence alongside the prosecution's case as the proceedings advance.

How Maduro Was Kidnapped and Taken to the United States

Maduro's appearance in a New York courtroom follows a dramatic US military operation in Caracas on January 3, 2026.

US forces Kidnapped Maduro and Flores at their residence and transferred them to the United States to face criminal charges.

The operation marked a major turning point in Venezuela's political crisis and the country's already strained relationship with Washington.

The US government has defended its prosecution of Maduro, presenting the case as an effort to hold him accountable for alleged criminal activity.

However, the capture of a sitting foreign president by a foreign military raises far-reaching questions about sovereignty, international law and the limits of unilateral military action.

The Venezuelan government and Maduro's supporters have described the operation as an unlawful abduction, while the US government has pursued its case through the American judicial system.

Maduro's removal from power has also transformed Venezuela's political landscape. His former vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, has assumed leadership of the country and overseen a changing relationship with Washington.

The circumstances surrounding Maduro's kidnap remain central to the wider political and legal debate over his prosecution.

Existing Drug Trafficking and Weapons Charges.

The new torture-related allegations have been added to an existing criminal case involving narcotics and weapons offences.

Before the latest indictment, Maduro and Flores had already pleaded not guilty to charges alleging that they participated in conspiracies connected to cocaine trafficking and the use or possession of prohibited weapons.

The expanded indictment increases the range of accusations the couple must confront in the United States.

The prosecution maintains that the alleged activities were connected to a broader criminal enterprise involving senior figures within Venezuela's former political establishment.

The defence, however, disputes the allegations and has questioned whether the US courts have the legal authority to prosecute the couple in light of their former official positions.

The outcome of the case could therefore have implications beyond the individual defendants, particularly for future disputes involving foreign leaders, sovereign immunity and the jurisdiction of national courts.