U.S. charges Maduro and Cilia Flores with conspiracy to commit torture

U.S. authorities have filed new criminal charges against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, accusing them of conspiring to commit torture against political opponents and American citizens detained in Venezuela.

According to the superseding indictment, prosecutors allege that Maduro authorized the use of torture against specific individuals and oversaw a system involving arbitrary detention and violence as part of the repression of political opposition. The alleged abuses include electric shocks, beatings and asphyxiation.

The indictment also accuses Flores of helping develop the system and ordering torture against specific individuals. Prosecutors allege that some of the victims were U.S. citizens, including three Americans whose identities were not disclosed in the court documents.

The new torture conspiracy charge adds to the drug trafficking case already pending against the couple. Both Maduro and Flores have pleaded not guilty to the existing charges and remain in federal custody in New York. Their trial is scheduled for June 2027.

Flores also appeared in court Thursday seeking release to house arrest because of health problems. Her lawyers say she has lost about 25 pounds, has experienced dizziness and shortness of breath and may have suffered a minor heart attack. A federal judge denied the request, while prosecutors argued she posed a flight risk and a danger to the public.