U.S. federal prosecutors have brought a new criminal charge against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, accusing them of conspiring to commit torture against political opponents and U.S. citizens detained in Venezuela.
The additional charge was included in a superseding indictment unsealed Thursday in federal court in Manhattan. It adds to existing charges involving alleged drug trafficking and weapons offenses, which Maduro and Flores have denied. Both have pleaded not guilty to the original charges.
Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, have been held in U.S. custody since their capture in Caracas in January. Their trial is scheduled to begin in June 2027.
According to the new indictment, U.S. prosecutors allege that Maduro authorized the use of torture and oversaw a system of repression that relied on arbitrary detention, violence against political opponents and the torture of detainees.
The indictment describes alleged methods including electric shocks, asphyxiation, rape, forced nudity, prolonged isolation, deprivation of food, punishment cells and psychological abuse, including threats against victims and their families. Prosecutors also allege that some U.S. citizens were among those subjected to abuse.
Prosecutors further allege that Flores played a role in the system of repression. The accusations against the couple remain allegations contained in the indictment and have not been established in court.
The new charges follow years of accounts from former Venezuelan detainees and human rights organizations alleging arbitrary arrests and mistreatment in Venezuelan detention facilities.
The case also adds a human-rights dimension to the U.S. prosecution of Maduro and Flores, who were previously accused of participating in schemes involving cocaine trafficking, narco-terrorism and weapons offenses.
Separately, Flores has sought release from custody on health grounds while awaiting trial. A federal judge in New York has denied her request for release, while prosecutors have argued that she poses a flight risk.
The latest indictment expands the U.S. case against the former Venezuelan president and his wife as prosecutors pursue allegations involving both organized crime and abuses committed during Maduro’s years in power.
