Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, appeared in a Manhattan federal court to plead not guilty to charges of conspiring to torture political opponents. Maduro, 63, and Flores, 70, are also facing previous allegations of abusing their power to facilitate drug trafficking operations involving cocaine shipments.

The couple remains in custody at a detention center in Brooklyn as legal proceedings continue. The new charge adds to the existing criminal case against them, which accuses them of orchestrating systematic intimidation and violence against political adversaries within Venezuela. The government in Venezuela has consistently denied these allegations, and Maduro has maintained his innocence throughout.

The U.S. Department of Justice has accused Maduro and Flores of engaging in a wide-ranging criminal enterprise aimed at suppressing dissent and furthering narcotics trafficking activities. Authorities contend that Maduro and Flores used their official positions to shield drug traffickers and carry out human rights abuses against political opponents.

Legal experts note that these developments mark an expansion of the case against the former Venezuelan leaders, signaling intensified efforts by U.S. prosecutors to hold them accountable for alleged crimes committed during Maduro’s presidency. The defendants’ attorneys have not publicly commented on the latest proceedings.

Maduro’s administration has long been the subject of international scrutiny and sanctions related to corruption, narcotrafficking, and human rights violations. The United States has continued to pursue legal action against Maduro and associates in an effort to address these alleged offenses and support democratic transition efforts in Venezuela.