Maduro and wife charged with torture; judge keeps Cilia Flores jailed
Federal prosecutors in New York have charged former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, with plotting to torture prisoners. They say the victims included U.S. citizens held in Venezuelan jails. The new count carries up to 20 years in prison, and the couple's trial is set for June 2027.
Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, now face a torture charge in Manhattan federal court.
A superseding indictment unsealed Thursday accuses the former Venezuelan president and first lady of conspiring to commit torture. Prosecutors say their government used electric shock, asphyxiation, rape, forced nudity, isolation, starvation and threats to crush dissent. The Justice Department says the victims included U.S. citizens.
The details are stark. One American was told by a jailer that he was alive only because he could be "useful in a prisoner exchange with the United States," ABC News reported. Another was beaten for two days after the 2024 election, the indictment says, leaving him with a permanent eye injury. CBS News reported that Maduro allegedly told officials to "squeeze them harder" during a briefing about a defiant prisoner.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said the charges "reflect the dedication of this Administration to delivering justice for the victims." FBI Director Kash Patel said more than a dozen Americans were tortured. The torture count carries up to 20 years in prison.
Maduro did not appear in court Thursday. His lawyer, Barry Pollack, said Maduro "denies the charges in the new indictment and looks forward to his day in court."
Flores did appear. Her lawyers asked for home confinement, citing a heart condition. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein denied the request, Fox News reported. The judge noted she had access to "considerable funds" and called the charges "serious allegations," CBS News reported. Her arraignment on the new count was put off so her lawyers could read the indictment.
How this fits: Prosecutors in New York first charged Maduro and others in 2020 with flooding the United States with cocaine. U.S. forces seized the couple in Caracas in January and flew them to New York. They have pleaded not guilty to the drug and weapons charges and argue they are immune as former leaders. The BBC reported that more than 300 political prisoners remain jailed in Venezuela, according to the rights group Foro Penal.
What we know: Maduro and Flores face a new torture conspiracy count, and Flores was denied release.
What we don't: When the couple will be arraigned on the new count, and how the judge will rule on their immunity claims.
Where outlets agree Fox News and CBS News both report that Maduro and Flores were charged Thursday with conspiracy to commit torture and that a judge denied Flores bail.
Where they differ CBS News says the couple already faced a narco-terrorism conspiracy charge, while ABC News says the new indictment adds a narcoterrorism count against Flores.