WorldPosted at: Oct 8 2026 4:19PM


Maduro and his wife to face new US charges over torture of Americans

Washington, Oct 8 (UNI) Federal prosecutors in New York are getting ready to bring new charges against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
The charges relate to the alleged torture of Americans held by the Venezuelan government, US media reported. The announcement could come as early as Thursday.
Both Maduro and Flores are likely to appear before court on Thursday .The case centers on more than a dozen US citizens who were jailed in Venezuela while Maduro was in power. Prosecutors have also discussed charging several other people for their alleged roles in mistreating the American detainees, CNN reported.
Flores, 69, and Maduro, 63, were captured by the US military on January 3 in their Caracas home and brought to New York to face ⁠an indictment accusing them of abusing their positions of power to allow drug traffickers to ship cocaine.
Lawyer representing Cilia Flores, will request US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein to grant her bail for health reasons as she awaits her drug trafficking trial next year.
They've both pleaded not guilty to narcoterrorism conspiracy and other charges, and they're being held without bail in New York.
Maduro's lawyer, meanwhile, has questioned whether his arrest was legal and argued that he should have immunity because the alleged conduct took place while he was president. Prosecutors say the Venezuelan government isn't claiming immunity on his behalf.
US officials and human rights advocates have long accused the Maduro government of using detained Americans as political bargaining chips. Several former detainees have described brutal treatment.
Matthew Heath and Osman Khan, who were freed in a prisoner swap in October 2022, said in a lawsuit that they endured waterboarding, electric shocks, threats of sexual assault, mind-altering drugs and long stretches of solitary confinement.
The "CITGO 6," six American oil executives arrested after traveling to Venezuela in 2017, have also spoken about harsh conditions during nearly five years in custody. UNI XC AAB
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