Maduro and Wife Charged With Torturing Dissidents, Americans
Federal prosecutors have charged former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, with conspiring to torture political opponents, including more than a dozen American citizens.
The new charge came in a 30-page superseding indictment unsealed Thursday in Manhattan federal court. It adds a count of conspiracy to commit torture to the drug trafficking and weapons charges the couple already faces, CBS News reported.
What the Indictment Alleges
Prosecutors say Maduro "presided over this system of repression and torture," using the military, intelligence agencies and security forces to silence dissidents and stay in power. They allege Flores helped develop it.
According to the indictment, detainees were subjected to electric shocks, asphyxiation, rape, forced nudity, starvation and long periods of isolation. Some victims were allegedly threatened with harm to their families, including their children.
Prosecutors claim Maduro ordered opponents detained, received updates on interrogations and told officials to intensify the abuse. In one case, he allegedly told officials to "squeeze them harder" when a prisoner refused to cooperate.
The indictment also says Maduro ordered the 2013 arrest of a military officer he suspected of planning a coup. Counterintelligence officers then allegedly shocked the officer with a live wire about 20 times and hung him by his hands and feet. During unrest in 2014, Maduro allegedly proposed abducting and torturing several military officers suspected of disloyalty, and Flores agreed, prosecutors said.
Americans Among the Alleged Victims
FBI Director Kash Patel said the regime "subjected over a dozen American citizens to torture" while they were in government custody.
The victims are identified in the indictment only by number. One American, accused of plotting to assassinate Maduro, was allegedly beaten and shocked on his arms, legs and genitals by counterintelligence officers. Another, who was visiting family in Venezuela, was allegedly electrocuted during transport and in prison. A guard allegedly told him he was being kept alive because he could be useful in a prisoner exchange with the U.S.
A third man was allegedly beaten for two days in 2024 after Maduro declared victory in an election the U.S. called a sham, leaving him with a permanent eye injury. He was released in January and allegedly warned not to say he had been abused.
Prosecutors said "witnesses who were in the room" will testify about the torture. None of the allegations have been proven in court.
Flores Denied Release
Flores appeared in court Thursday for a bail hearing, while Maduro did not attend. Her lawyers asked that she be released to a New York-area residence with round-the-clock private security so she could undergo a heart procedure and recover outside of jail.
"The conditions that the defense proposes address all the risk of flight concerns that the government may have," defense attorney Mark Donnelly said, according to 6abc Philadelphia.
Prosecutors called Flores an "extreme" flight risk. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein agreed and denied her request. "Jail is not a nice place to be, but these are serious allegations," he said. "I don't think the conditions are there to release her."
Flores will remain at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. Neither she nor Maduro has been arraigned on the new charge yet, and the date will be set later.
How the Case Got Here
Maduro and Flores were captured by U.S. forces at their home in Caracas in early January and flown to New York. Both pleaded not guilty to charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and weapons possession.
Maduro's lawyers have argued in court filings that he is immune from prosecution because he led a sovereign nation. Defense lawyers for the couple did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the torture charge.
Maduro, 63, led Venezuela for 13 years after taking over following the death of Hugo Chávez in 2013. Flores, 69, previously served as Venezuela's attorney general and led its National Assembly before becoming first lady.
The couple's trial on the drug charges is scheduled to begin June 1, 2027, according to Reuters. If convicted, Flores faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 40 years in prison.
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