Nicolás Maduro and His Wife Face New Torture Charges in New York
Qwenews.com – Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, face an added conspiracy-to-commit-torture charge in a federal case in New York. Prosecutors allege the former Venezuelan president and Flores were involved in a broader system of abuse targeting Americans, political opponents and other detainees held in Venezuela.
The expanded indictment alleges that Maduro approved torture against selected detainees after taking office in 2013 and oversaw repression that included arbitrary detention, violence and mistreatment. Both defendants now face an additional count tied to the alleged conspiracy.
More than a dozen US citizens were detained during Maduro’s time in power. American officials and human-rights advocates have accused Venezuela’s government of using foreign detainees as political leverage while holding perceived opponents in harsh conditions.
Maduro and Flores Remain Detained
Nicolás Maduro and his wife were taken from the presidential palace in Caracas during a US military raid in January. They have denied charges including narcoterrorism conspiracy and remain held without bail in New York.
Flores appeared in court Thursday, where her lawyer was expected to request home confinement before trial. Maduro’s attorneys are challenging the legality of his capture and argue that he should have immunity for actions allegedly taken while he was president.
Prosecutors have said Venezuela’s government is not asserting immunity on Maduro’s behalf. Investigators have also examined possible charges against other people who may have been involved in the alleged abuse of American detainees.
Indictment Details Alleged Abuse
The indictment includes allegations involving Venezuelan military personnel, political prisoners and US citizens. One Venezuelan military officer allegedly received electric shocks from a live wire about 20 times and was beaten with fists, belts and an object resembling a pipe.
Prosecutors say the officer was beaten on his legs, back and head, suspended by his hands and feet, and waterboarded about 30 times. Waterboarding is a technique intended to create the sensation of drowning or suffocation.
Another alleged victim, a US citizen accused of involvement in a plot to assassinate Maduro, was detained and tortured in January 2022, prosecutors say. He was later released and returned to the United States in October.
The detainee alleged that officers punched him, covered his face and poured a noxious liquid over him, causing him to vomit.
He later spent more than eight months at Boleita Norte prison, where the indictment alleges he endured further abuse, including electrocution and forced injections that caused seizures. Prosecutors also describe allegations of asphyxiation, beatings, restricted food and water, and electric shocks to multiple parts of his body.
Recent Allegations and Former Detainees
The latest allegation in the charges dates to January 2025, shortly after Venezuela’s presidential election. Prosecutors say a US citizen was arrested at his home while authorities were looking for another person.
According to the indictment, he was taken to a detention facility basement, hooded and handcuffed behind his back. He was allegedly beaten every hour over two days, causing a permanent eye injury.
Former American detainees Matthew Heath and Osman Khan, who were released in an October 2022 prisoner exchange, have made similar allegations in a lawsuit. They have said they were waterboarded, electrocuted, threatened with sexual assault, given mind-altering drugs and held in solitary confinement.
Six American oil executives known as the CITGO 6 were also detained in Venezuela for nearly five years after traveling there in 2017. They have described severe conditions during their imprisonment.
FAQ: What Happens Next in the New York Case?
What do the new charges mean? The torture-conspiracy allegation puts the claimed mistreatment of detainees at the center of the prosecution, alongside the existing narcoterrorism-related accusations.
Have Nicolás Maduro and his wife been convicted? No. Nicolás Maduro and his wife have denied the charges, and the allegations must be tested through the federal court process.
Where is the case being handled? The criminal proceedings are taking place in federal court in New York, where both defendants remain detained without bail.