Nicolas Maduro pleads not guilty to US torture charges in court

Former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro pleaded not guilty on Thursday to new federal charges of torturing United States citizens. The New York Post, South China Morning Post, and Norwalk Hour all reported that the 63-year-old former leader appeared in a Manhattan federal court to reject the claims. US District Court Judge Alvin Hellerstein presided over the hearing. [1][2][3]

The New York Post reported that Judge Hellerstein cut off Maduro as he delivered a rambling speech through a Spanish interpreter. Maduro stated that he rejected the document in its entirety, calling the claims false allegations. The New York Post noted that Maduro wore a tan jail jumpsuit and appeared slimmed down during his court appearance. [1]

The South China Morning Post reported that the allegations of torture were added to a rewritten drug-trafficking indictment that also targets Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores. As FTMQ News reported earlier, federal prosecutors previously charged the couple with drug and weapons offenses following their capture in January 2026. [2][8]

The new charges center on the alleged torture of Americans held in Venezuelan prisons. Venezuela experienced a severe economic crisis and political instability during the 2010s, which led to significant emigration from the South American nation. [7][8]