In a significant development, a superseding indictment has been filed against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a New York federal court. The revised charges now include a conspiracy count to commit torture, stemming from alleged abuses inflicted on US citizens and other detainees in Venezuela during Maduro's tenure.
Manhattan prosecutors are reportedly preparing new charges, according to a report from CNN. Subsequent confirmation from Reuters indicates that an indictment was filed in a federal court in Manhattan, with the new charge being added to existing lawsuits against the couple related to drug-related crimes.
US prosecutors claim that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro allegedly authorized and directed a regime of arbitrary detentions, violence, and torture targeting political adversaries. Additionally, the prosecution asserts that Maduro's associate, Flores, was involved in the establishment of this system.
Testimonies from former American detainees in Venezuela have revealed disturbing accounts of mistreatment, including reports of electrocution, simulated drowning, threats of sexual assault, the use of mind-altering substances, and prolonged isolation.
Prosecutors have cited a 2022 incident involving a U.S. citizen who allegedly suffered physical abuse at the hands of agents. The individual was reportedly subjected to violent treatment, including asphyxiation and forced ingestion of his own vomit after being induced to vomit with a toxic substance.
Prosecutors have alleged that a Venezuelan military personnel was subjected to severe physical abuse, including multiple instances of alleged electricity discharges via an electric cable, reportedly occurring approximately 20 times.
The CITGO 6 case, involving executives affiliated with the U.S. oil company CITGO, has also garnered attention. These executives were detained in Venezuela for an extended period, with some reporting harsh treatment during their imprisonment.
United Nations investigations have previously shed light on alleged human rights abuses in facilities operated by the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM). An international mission uncovered evidence of torture at the DGCIM headquarters, specifically at Boleíta Norte, and documented various forms of mistreatment, including the use of electric discharges, suffocation, physical beatings, sexual violence, and denial of basic necessities such as food and water.
Two individuals, identified as Maduro and Flores, were apprehended by US forces in Caracas on January 3, 2026, and subsequently transported to New York. Both have maintained their innocence regarding prior allegations of involvement in drug trafficking and other illicit activities, and remain in federal custody. According to reports from Reuters, their trial is currently slated to commence in June 2027.
Maduro and Flores continue to enjoy the right to mount a defense and to be presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
