US prosecutors have added new torture charges against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a criminal case that has already seen the couple indicted for drug trafficking and firearms charges. The latest charges allege that Maduro and Flores conspired to torture political opponents and US citizens, with the indictment detailing methods such as electric shocks, beatings, and asphyxiation.
The indictment, released Thursday, states that Maduro authorized the use of torture against specific individuals and oversaw a system designed to use torture, arbitrary detention, and violence as a means of repression against the political opposition. The charges come as Maduro and Flores await trial in New York, where they are held in a Brooklyn jail, and follow a 2022 incident where Venezuelan authorities allegedly tortured an American accused of plotting to assassinate Maduro.
US prosecutors claim that Maduro used state power to protect and promote illegal drug smuggling, and that he allied himself with cartels to ship tons of cocaine into the United States. The couple has denied the charges, with Maduro calling himself a 'prisoner of war' and Flores seeking release from jail due to health concerns, including a potential heart attack in July.
Prosecutors have rejected Flores' request to be moved to a private home detention in New York, arguing she poses an 'extreme risk of flight and danger to the public' if released. The case highlights the ongoing tensions between the US and Venezuela, with the US having signed multi-billion-dollar deals with Venezuela to control its oil reserves despite the political and legal challenges surrounding the charges against Maduro and Flores.