Federal Judge Alvin Hellerstein postponed the trial until June 14, 2027, after defense attorneys requested additional time to prepare their response to the new indictment.
The Daily Journal.— Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty Thursday to new charges of conspiracy to commit torture during a hearing before Federal Judge Alvin Hellerstein in New York.
Maduro told the court that the indictment relied on “false accusations and testimonies” against him and described it as a “collection of elements and attacks that I had already encountered in the past.”
Flores, meanwhile, declared herself “completely innocent” and pleaded “not guilty” to the new charges.
Both defendants told the judge their attorneys had informed them of the new indictment and that they had received a Spanish translation.
On October 8, prosecutors filed a superseding indictment that added a charge of conspiracy to commit torture against Maduro and Flores. The indictment also extended the charge of conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism to Flores, a charge that prosecutors had previously brought only against the ousted Venezuelan leader.
The indictment alleges that both participated in a campaign of repression against political opponents, military personnel, and others whom the Venezuelan government considered threats. Prosecutors also cite alleged abuses against three U.S. citizens who authorities detained in Venezuela.
Prosecutors describe practices including electric shocks, suffocation, beatings, deprivation of food and water, and threats against family members. These allegations form part of the indictment and remain subject to examination during the judicial proceedings.
Trial to begin in June 2027
After hearing the defendants’ statements, Hellerstein postponed the trial from June 1 to June 14, 2027.
Defense attorneys requested additional time to review the new charges and prepare their arguments. Barry Pollack, one of Maduro’s attorneys, also sought more time to pursue motions concerning the sovereign immunity that the defense invokes.
The court expects to hold the next hearing in December, while the final scheduled pretrial hearing will take place on June 7, 2027.
Maduro and Flores remain in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn following their capture by U.S. forces in Venezuela on January 3 and subsequent transfer to New York.
Four categories of charges
Following the expansion of the indictment, both defendants face charges of conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, offenses involving the possession of firearms and destructive devices, and conspiracy to commit torture.
Prosecutors allege that Maduro and Flores participated in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and provide financial resources to individuals or organizations that Washington links to terrorist activities. The indictment cites alleged connections to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and some of its factions, Tren de Aragua, and the Sinaloa Cartel.
Defense attorneys also challenge the legitimacy of the proceedings and argue that Maduro should enjoy head-of-state immunity. Prosecutors reject that argument, maintaining that the United States stopped recognizing him as Venezuela’s legitimate president in 2019.
With information from EFE.
