Maduro, wife plead not guilty to US torture conspiracy charges
What's next: A Manhattan judge pushed their trial to June 14, 2027, and each faces a 50-year minimum if convicted on all counts.
Former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty in Manhattan federal court on Oct. 15 to a new US indictment accusing them of conspiring to torture political opponents. The charges broaden the criminal case they already faced over alleged drug-trafficking conduct. Prosecutors say Maduro directed Venezuelan officials to abuse opposition politicians and military personnel suspected of plotting against him, including a 2014 episode in which he allegedly ordered officials to kidnap military members for information and told them to “squeeze them harder.” Flores is accused of backing that plan. US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein delayed the trial two weeks to June 14, 2027.