Venezuelan former president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been charged with conspiracy to commit torture in the United States, adding to existing drug-trafficking and weapons allegations they deny.
The new charges were made public on Thursday in a superseding indictment accusing the couple of overseeing a system of repression during Maduro’s time in power.
Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, have been held at a detention facility in Brooklyn, New York, since January, following their seizure by US forces during a pre-dawn raid on their compound in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital. Maduro’s lawyer, Barry J. Pollack, said his client denied the latest allegations and looked forward to presenting his case in court.
Federal prosecutors also announced that Flores had been added to the earlier narco-terrorism charge. The trial involving both defendants is scheduled to begin in June 2027.
Prosecutors Detail Alleged Abuse of Detainees
According to the indictment, Maduro and Flores allegedly maintained their hold on power through a system involving violence against political opponents, arbitrary detention and the torture of prisoners, including US citizens held in Venezuela.
Prosecutors listed alleged methods of torture including electric shocks, asphyxiation, rape, forced nudity, prolonged isolation, starvation and psychological abuse. The indictment also alleges that detainees were threatened with harm to their families, including their children.
Prosecutors said the alleged conduct was intended to ensure that Maduro and Flores remained in power. They described the accusations as involving significant harm to American citizens. The indictment further alleges that Flores played an active role in the system, including ordering the torture of individuals and receiving updates about the treatment of specific detainees. Prosecutors allege that some of her actions were intended to protect family members involved in illegal activities.
Flores’s request to be transferred to house arrest was denied by a judge on Thursday. Both defendants are expected to remain in custody as their cases proceed.
The allegations echo accounts previously given by former Venezuelan detainees. Javier Tarazona, a human rights activist, has described being held in a small punishment cell for 46 days after his arrest.
Human Rights Concerns Continue After Maduro’s Removal
Maduro’s removal from power has not ended international concerns about human rights conditions in Venezuela. His former vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, became interim leader with the backing of the Trump administration. Since then, hundreds of political prisoners have reportedly been released under an amnesty law.
However, the prisoners’ rights organisation Foro Penal has said that more than 300 people remain behind bars. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has also warned that his office continues to receive reports of torture involving detainees, including after Maduro’s removal.
In March, Türk said that structural and systemic human rights concerns persisted in Venezuela.
Venezuela’s foreign minister at the time rejected his criticism, accusing him of promoting the agenda of political extremists. The latest charges will now be addressed through the US judicial process. Maduro and Flores deny the allegations, and the charges remain subject to adjudication in court.
