The Daily Journal.- Judge Alvin Hellerstein scheduled a hearing in New York for October 15, at which ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, must respond to new charges of conspiracy to commit torture that U.S. prosecutors filed last week.
According to an order the judge issued Wednesday and entered into the case’s court docket, the hearing will take place at 11:00 a.m. (15:00 GMT) and address the charges outlined in the updated indictment against both defendants.
A week ago, U.S. prosecutors filed conspiracy to commit torture charges against Maduro and Flores and expanded the narco-terrorism charge, which previously applied only to Maduro, to include Flores. Both continue to face charges of conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, as well as possession of and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.
According to the updated indictment, Maduro’s regime allegedly tortured political opponents, military personnel, and other detainees, including three U.S. citizens. It pursued a strategy of “repression and torture” to remain in power for years.
Regarding the narco-terrorism charge, the United States alleges that Maduro and Flores conspired to distribute and possess “five kilograms or more of mixtures and substances containing a detectable amount of cocaine” with the intention of providing “economic value” to individuals or organizations linked to “terrorist activities.”
U.S. forces captured Maduro and Flores in Caracas on January 3 and subsequently transferred them to New York, where they remain in custody as they face legal proceedings.
Thursday’s hearing will involve the formal reading of the charges, after which the defendants have the right to plead guilty or not guilty.
The court has scheduled the trial for June 2027. Another hearing will take place on November 17, when the judge will consider a motion to dismiss the charges on sovereign-immunity grounds, which U.S. prosecutors oppose.
