US Files New Torture Charges Against Maduro, Wife

US prosecutors have filed new charges of conspiracy to commit torture against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, adding to the criminal case against the couple.

The charges were contained in a superseding indictment made public on Thursday in a federal court in Manhattan.

Maduro and Flores were already facing drug trafficking and firearms-related charges in the United States following their capture in Caracas in January and transfer to New York.

The new indictment alleges that Maduro and Flores participated in a system of repression designed to suppress political opposition, silence dissent and preserve their political power.

Prosecutors alleged that detainees were subjected to severe physical and psychological abuse, including beatings, electric shocks, waterboarding and other forms of mistreatment.

The indictment detailed alleged cases involving nine victims, including three US citizens, who were reportedly detained and abused by Venezuelan security personnel.

In one case, prosecutors alleged that a Venezuelan military officer suspected of planning a coup was repeatedly shocked with an electric wire and suspended by his hands and feet during interrogation.

Another alleged incident involved a US citizen detained in Venezuela in 2022 on accusations of plotting to assassinate Maduro. Prosecutors said the individual was beaten and subjected to electric shocks while in detention.

US prosecutors alleged that Maduro authorised torture methods and received information about the treatment of specific detainees, while Flores was accused of helping develop and enforce the system of repression.

The allegations remain subject to determination by the US courts. Maduro and Flores have denied the charges previously brought against them, while their lawyers have rejected the new allegations.

The couple are being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, with their trial scheduled for June 2027.

Separately, a US judge on Thursday denied Flores’ request for release on bail after her lawyers cited health concerns and requested that she be allowed to receive medical treatment outside detention.

Prosecutors opposed her release, arguing that she posed a flight risk and could potentially intimidate witnesses.