Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, will appear on the morning of this Thursday before the Federal Court for the Southern District of New York to formally face the new charges of conspiracy to commit torture that the federal prosecution has brought against them in recent days.
The appearance is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) in room 26A of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan building, located at 500 Pearl Street in Manhattan, presided over by Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, according to reports from Telemundo 51 and NTN24.
The court confirmed that the hearing will be open to the public and the media, but only in person and on a first-come, first-served basis. If necessary, an alternate room will be provided for those who cannot obtain a seat in the main courtroom.
The authorities warned that the entry of electronic devices into the venue will not be permitted.
During the session, the judge will formally read the charges and both defendants will have the right to plead guilty or not guilty, in line with the position they have already taken regarding the original drug trafficking accusations.
The New Charges: A Documented Repression Apparatus
The substitute indictment, presented on October 8, adds the charge of conspiracy to commit torture to the previous offenses of narcoterrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices.
According to the Department of Justice, the Venezuelan state apparatus has subjected political opponents, military personnel, and American citizens to electric shocks, asphyxiation, beatings, forced nudity, prolonged isolation, food deprivation, and threats against family members, including minors, for more than two decades.
The accusation identifies nine victims, three of whom are U.S. citizens.
The court document details that Maduro allegedly gave direct instructions during the interrogations.
According to prosecutors, the former dictator would order, "Get more information out of them!" and "Tighten the screws," and at times suggested specific techniques: "Don't let them sleep or throw water on them," all while, as the accusation states, "laughing after hearing the account of the prisoners' abuse."
The text also states that “Maduro Moros suggested kidnapping 5 to 7 members of the Armed Forces and extracting information from them through torture.”
Cilia Flores, in her capacity as former attorney general, is credited with having contributed to the design of the repressive system and having ordered tortures to protect the illegal activities of her family members.
The substitute accusation also extends to Flores the charge of conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism, which initially only applied to Maduro.
The charges they face and the background of the case
If found guilty on all charges, both would face a minimum mandatory sentence of 50 years in prison.
The charge of conspiracy to commit torture carries a maximum penalty of 20 years, while those for narcoterrorism and cocaine trafficking can extend to life imprisonment.
Maduro and Flores have been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since their capture on January 3, 2026, during the U.S. military operation called "Absolute Resolution" in Caracas.
The defense has unsuccessfully attempted to alleviate the conditions of detention. Last week, Judge Hellerstein rejected the request for house arrest for Cilia Flores on medical grounds, after determining that there is a "high risk of flight."
The lawyers cited heart problems and a loss of more than 11 kilograms in weight for the accused.
The voice of the victims
Demóstenes Quijada, former political prisoner from Venezuela, emphasized the significance of the hearing in statements collected by NTN24: «[The hearing] represents the consolidation of hope for many, for tens of thousands of us who have been victims of aggression and torture at the hands of the dictatorship in Venezuela».
Quijada also emphasized that, while the charges focus on American citizens, "the justice system of the United States has also openly acknowledged that tens of thousands of Venezuelans have been victims of this human rights violation."
The main trial is scheduled for June 1, 2027.
Before, on November 17, 2026, Judge Hellerstein will address the defense's request to dismiss all charges under the notion of sovereign immunity, a motion opposed by the prosecution.
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