Nicolas Maduro charged in US with torturing American prisoners

US prosecutors have charged Venezuela’s former leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, with conspiracy to commit torture, accusing them of overseeing a brutal state apparatus that systematically abused detained American citizens.

The new allegations, unsealed in a federal court on Thursday, expand on existing drug-trafficking and weapons charges against the couple. Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, have been held in a Brooklyn detention facility since January, when US forces captured them during a pre-dawn raid at their compound in Caracas.

At a court hearing on Thursday, a federal judge denied a request by Flores to be released to house arrest.

According to the superseding indictment, the couple used a "system of repression" involving arbitrary detentions and violence to entrench themselves in power. Prosecutors allege that detainees, including US citizens, were subjected to electric shocks, asphyxiation, rape, starvation, and prolonged isolation. In addition to physical violence, the indictment details psychological abuse, including threats to kill the prisoners' children and families.

The allegations against Cilia Flores

The indictment places Flores at the heart of the operation. US prosecutors claim she played a key role in developing the repressive system, went as far as ordering the torture of specific prisoners, and received regular updates on their condition. Prosecutors allege she did this to protect family members who were involved in illicit activities. Flores was also added to an existing narco-terrorism charge on Thursday.

Maduro’s attorney, Barry J. Pollack, said his client denies the new charges and "looks forward to his day in court". The trial for both Maduro and Flores is scheduled to begin in June 2027.

The political context in Venezuela

The charges cover events during Maduro's presidency, which ended after his ousting. Following his removal, Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as interim leader with the backing of the US government. While her administration has released hundreds of political prisoners under an amnesty law, the rights group Foro Penal estimates that more than 300 people remain behind bars.

The US charges echo years of allegations from Venezuelan dissidents and former prisoners. However, systemic human rights issues apparently remain. In March, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, warned that his office had received reports of ongoing torture in Venezuela, even after Maduro’s arrest. At the time, Venezuela’s foreign minister dismissed the claims, accusing Türk of acting on behalf of political extremists.