Federal prosecutors have expanded their criminal case against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores, alleging they directed a system of political repression involving torture, unlawful detention and the abuse of American citizens.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom.
NEW YORK — Federal prosecutors filed new criminal charges Thursday, Oct. 8, against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, accusing them of conspiring to torture political opponents and American citizens during Maduro’s years in power.
The superseding indictment, filed in the Southern District of New York, adds allegations of systematic human rights abuses to an existing prosecution involving drug trafficking and narco-terrorism. Prosecutors contend that Maduro and Flores used Venezuela’s military intelligence and security agencies to intimidate opponents, extract information from detainees and preserve their political authority.
The expanded case comes nine months after American military forces captured the couple in Caracas and transported them to New York to face federal criminal proceedings.
In a separate development Thursday, a federal judge denied Flores’ request to leave jail for medical treatment under house arrest, rejecting arguments that her deteriorating health justified release before trial.
The Associated Press reported that the new indictment identifies numerous alleged victims of torture, including three American citizens, and describes a government security apparatus that prosecutors say operated under Maduro’s direction.
The revised indictment accuses Maduro of personally approving abusive interrogation methods and maintaining direct knowledge of torture carried out against selected prisoners.
“He 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 indictment states.
The charges mark a significant expansion of the government’s prosecution by alleging that Maduro’s conduct extended beyond participation in international narcotics trafficking to the deliberate use of violence against people held in government custody.
Maduro, 63, governed Venezuela from 2013 until his capture by American forces on Jan. 3, 2026. He has consistently denied wrongdoing and maintains that his detention by the United States was unlawful.
Flores, 69, previously served as president of Venezuela’s National Assembly and as the country’s attorney general. She later became one of Maduro’s most prominent political allies.
Both defendants have pleaded not guilty to the drug-related charges previously filed against them. Their attorneys had not formally responded to the new torture allegations as of Thursday’s proceedings.
The revised indictment alleges that Maduro’s government conducted an extensive campaign against political opponents, military personnel, journalists and other individuals perceived as threats.
According to prosecutors, thousands of Venezuelans were subjected to intimidation, detention, physical attacks or other abuses by security forces operating under the government’s authority.
The indictment alleges that victims were “harassed, threatened, arrested, prosecuted, assaulted, tortured, or killed” as part of a broader effort to suppress opposition and maintain political control.
Federal investigators describe interrogation methods that included electric shocks, beatings, simulated suffocation, psychological threats and prolonged detention under abusive conditions.
Some detainees were allegedly subjected to physical violence intended to obtain confessions or information about opposition activities.
Others were reportedly threatened with harm to their relatives, including children.
Prosecutors allege that Maduro personally authorized specific torture methods, received updates about the treatment of selected prisoners and watched a recording of a confession obtained through coercion.
In one instance, the indictment claims Maduro threatened to have a prisoner’s child killed “as a form of psychological torture.”
The government contends that the threat was intended to pressure the prisoner and demonstrate the consequences of refusing to cooperate with authorities.
The allegations, if proven, would establish direct involvement by Maduro in abuses that prosecutors say were committed by government personnel rather than merely occurring during his presidency.
The indictment also assigns Flores an operational role in the alleged system of repression.
Prosecutors contend that she helped establish mechanisms used to identify, detain and punish perceived opponents of the government.
She is further accused of directing the torture of specific individuals, including people whose detention was connected to allegations involving politically influential figures or criminal activity.
The new charges were also detailed by Reuters, which reported that the indictment identifies nine alleged torture victims and includes accusations involving members of Venezuela’s military intelligence apparatus.
Three of the victims described in the charging document are American citizens.
Their names were withheld from the indictment, but prosecutors included detailed accounts of the alleged treatment they received while imprisoned in Venezuela.
One American was reportedly held for eight months and subjected to repeated assaults.
According to the indictment, interrogators punched the prisoner, administered electric shocks and forced him to consume his own vomit.
The alleged abuse was part of an interrogation process intended to intimidate the detainee and force compliance with government demands.
A second American was allegedly beaten severely enough to require an extended hospitalization.
Prosecutors also claim that interrogators placed a firearm inside the prisoner’s mouth during questioning.
A third American was allegedly restrained, hooded and beaten repeatedly over a two-day period.
The indictment describes assaults occurring approximately every 30 minutes and states that the prisoner sustained a permanent eye injury.
Federal prosecutors maintain that these incidents were not isolated misconduct by individual officers but formed part of a coordinated system of government repression.
The charges also describe threats against prisoners’ families and the use of detention conditions intended to inflict psychological suffering.
The allegations encompass conduct involving both Venezuelan citizens and foreign nationals held by the country’s security agencies.
The new prosecution places particular emphasis on Venezuela’s Directorate General of Military Counterintelligence, known by its Spanish acronym DGCIM.
The intelligence agency has been repeatedly accused by international investigators and human rights organizations of participating in arbitrary detentions, abusive interrogations and the suppression of political dissent.
Prosecutors contend that military intelligence officers helped implement the system described in the indictment.
The allegations also refer to other security forces and armed groups associated with Venezuela’s former government.
According to the indictment, these organizations were used to monitor opposition figures, identify perceived threats and carry out actions intended to discourage political resistance.
One person connected to the broader prosecution is retired Venezuelan Gen. Hugo Carvajal, a former senior military intelligence official who later broke with Maduro.
Carvajal previously headed the intelligence agency that preceded DGCIM and became a prominent figure in the federal investigation into Venezuelan government involvement in cocaine trafficking.
He pleaded guilty to drug trafficking offenses in New York in 2025 and has offered to testify against Maduro.
His potential cooperation could provide prosecutors with testimony concerning the organization of Venezuela’s security apparatus and the conduct of senior officials.
However, the extent to which prosecutors intend to rely on Carvajal in connection with the new torture allegations has not been publicly established.
The allegations against Maduro also overlap with longstanding international investigations into abuses committed by Venezuelan authorities.
The International Criminal Court has been examining allegations of crimes against humanity associated with Venezuela’s treatment of political opponents and other detainees.
That investigation has focused on allegations including arbitrary detention, torture, persecution and other abuses involving government security personnel.
Maduro has rejected claims that his administration committed crimes against humanity.
United Nations investigators have also documented allegations of extrajudicial killings, torture and unlawful imprisonment involving Venezuelan security services.
A 2020 United Nations fact-finding report described patterns of abuses by state authorities and examined the possible involvement of senior political and military officials.
The latest American indictment places additional allegations within the U.S. criminal justice system, where prosecutors must establish the defendants’ guilt under applicable federal statutes.
A federal indictment represents formal allegations, not a finding of guilt.
Both Maduro and Flores retain the presumption of innocence unless prosecutors prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case also differs from proceedings before the International Criminal Court because it involves criminal charges brought under American law in a federal district court.
Federal prosecutors have previously accused Maduro and associates of participating in a conspiracy involving the transportation of cocaine through Venezuela and into the United States.
The original indictment was filed in March 2020 during Trump’s first presidential administration.
It accused senior Venezuelan officials of facilitating narcotics trafficking and cooperating with organizations involved in transporting cocaine toward American markets.
The expanded indictment retains the drug-related allegations while adding the torture conspiracy count.
According to EFE’s account of the revised charges, prosecutors also expanded the narco-terrorism allegations involving Flores, bringing her under a conspiracy charge previously directed at Maduro.
The government’s allegations connect the defendants’ political power to both the alleged narcotics operations and the system of repression described in the new filing.
Prosecutors contend that government institutions were used to protect illicit activities while suppressing opponents and individuals who might expose wrongdoing.
The defendants were already facing potentially lengthy prison sentences on the earlier charges.
The new allegations further increase their criminal exposure, with the government maintaining that convictions on all counts could produce sentences extending for decades.
The couple’s trial is currently scheduled to begin June 1, 2027.
Additional hearings are expected before then to address the superseding indictment, defense motions and disputes concerning the legal circumstances of their capture.
Both defendants have challenged the legitimacy of the American prosecution.
Their attorneys argue that Maduro’s status as Venezuela’s former president and Flores’ position as first lady entitled them to immunity from prosecution by a foreign government.
Those arguments are central to pending efforts to dismiss the case.
The defense has also questioned the legality of the January military operation that brought the couple into American custody.
Maduro has described himself as a prisoner of war and characterized his capture as a kidnapping.
The Trump administration maintains that the operation was lawful.
American officials described the January raid as a “surgical law enforcement operation” intended to apprehend individuals facing federal criminal charges.
The dispute over the legality of the capture and the defendants’ claimed immunity remains unresolved.
Their prosecution follows the U.S. military operation conducted in Caracas during the early hours of Jan. 3.
American forces entered Venezuela, captured Maduro and Flores, and transported them to the United States.
The operation ended Maduro’s presidency and led to a political transition under former Vice President Delcy Rodríguez.
Rodríguez subsequently assumed leadership of Venezuela, while American officials increased engagement with the country’s new authorities.
The January operation generated international debate concerning sovereignty, the use of military force and the circumstances under which a foreign leader can be apprehended to face prosecution in another country.
The legal questions raised by the defense are expected to receive further consideration during pretrial proceedings.
Thursday’s hearing concerning Flores focused principally on whether she should remain at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn while awaiting trial.
Her attorneys requested that she be transferred to a private residence in the New York area under round-the-clock security supervision.
They argued that her medical condition had deteriorated during approximately nine months in federal custody and that continued confinement could expose her to serious health risks.
The defense described cardiac symptoms, substantial weight loss and lingering injuries allegedly sustained during the American military operation.
Flores’ attorneys said she had lost approximately 25 pounds since entering the detention facility.
They also reported continuing episodes of lightheadedness, dizziness and shortness of breath.
According to court filings, doctors have discussed the possibility that Flores may require a cardiac procedure, and her attorneys raised concerns that she could have suffered a minor heart attack in July.
Those claims were presented by the defense and do not independently establish a medical diagnosis.
Her lawyers further alleged that Flores sustained permanent scarring after being “thrown against a wall or dresser” during the operation that resulted in her capture.
The defense maintained that a private residence with continuous security could provide suitable medical conditions without creating a substantial risk that she would flee.
Flores’ attorneys argued that she had strong personal reasons to remain in New York because of her husband’s pending prosecution.
They said she was “intent on supporting her husband with her constant presence.”
Under the proposed arrangement, Flores would have been subject to strict restrictions on her movement and continuous monitoring.
The defense said Venezuela’s government would cover the costs of the proposed security arrangements and residence.
Federal prosecutors opposed the request.
In court documents, they argued that Flores remained a substantial flight risk because of her resources, international connections and the severity of the criminal charges.
They described her possible release as creating an “extreme risk of flight and danger to the public.”
The government also disputed the suggestion that Flores could not obtain necessary medical care while incarcerated.
Prosecutors said the federal detention system had arranged treatment for Flores at a local hospital when appropriate.
They maintained that her health concerns did not justify release from custody under the circumstances.
During Thursday’s hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry J. Ricardo denied the request for bail.
According to CBS News’ reporting on the proceedings, the judge cited the seriousness of the allegations, the evidence presented by prosecutors and concerns that Flores possessed resources that could facilitate flight.
“The evidence is strong, very strong,” Ricardo said while explaining his decision.
The judge concluded that the proposed security arrangements did not sufficiently address the government’s concerns.
As a result, Flores will remain in federal custody while the case proceeds.
Her attorney also requested additional time to review the new indictment, which had been filed shortly before Thursday’s hearing.
The court permitted the defense to postpone formal consideration of the newly added charge.
The ruling creates an additional setback for Flores as she contests both the underlying accusations and the conditions of her detention.
The prosecution has also renewed attention to Americans who were previously imprisoned in Venezuela and have pursued legal claims over their treatment.
Among them is Matthew Heath, a former U.S. Marine corporal from Tennessee who was arrested at a Venezuelan roadblock in 2020.
Heath spent more than two years in custody before being released in 2022.
He has alleged that Venezuelan security personnel subjected him to severe physical and psychological abuse.
His account includes allegations of waterboarding, electrical shocks, threats of sexual violence and confinement in an extremely small cell known as “El Tigrito.”
The allegations also describe the use of mind-altering medications and repeated interrogations.
Heath subsequently pursued civil litigation in the United States against Maduro and other Venezuelan officials.
In May 2026, Heath and another former American prisoner obtained a $300 million default judgment against Maduro and senior Venezuelan officials in a case brought under federal anti-terrorism law.
The judgment followed the defendants’ failure to contest the allegations in that civil proceeding.
A default judgment is distinct from a criminal conviction, and the standards and procedures involved in the civil case differ from those governing the federal indictment.
Nevertheless, the litigation provides additional background concerning allegations of mistreatment made by Americans who were imprisoned in Venezuela.
Heath welcomed Thursday’s announcement of new criminal charges against Maduro.
“It’s incredible to see a dictator in court,” Heath said after learning of the indictment.
“The Maduro prosecution will do more to prevent the kidnapping of Americans by rogue regimes than a hundred press releases from the United Nations.”
His comments reflect the views of former detainees who have argued that criminal prosecutions offer a means of establishing accountability for abuses committed during their imprisonment.
U.S. investigators have described multiple instances in which American citizens detained in Venezuela were allegedly subjected to coercive interrogation or held under conditions intended to increase pressure on Washington.
The new indictment includes allegations concerning Americans detained between 2022 and early 2026, with prosecutors describing cases involving physical abuse, forced medication and threats.
Federal officials contend that some detainees were treated as potential bargaining assets in negotiations involving the United States.
The charging document includes an allegation involving a prisoner who was informed that his American citizenship made him useful in a possible exchange.
Such claims reinforce the prosecution’s argument that the alleged abuses were connected to government policy rather than isolated acts by individual guards.
The defense has not yet presented its response to the specific new allegations.
Maduro has previously rejected accusations of political persecution and maintained that proceedings brought against him abroad are politically motivated.
His attorneys are expected to challenge the government’s evidence and continue pursuing their jurisdictional and immunity arguments.
The case could involve testimony from former Venezuelan officials, American detainees and investigators familiar with the country’s security institutions.
It could also require the court to consider evidence concerning conduct that allegedly occurred over many years outside American territory.
The addition of torture conspiracy charges places further attention on the relationship between domestic criminal statutes, international human rights law and the prosecution of former foreign officials.
Federal prosecutors must establish the elements of each offense and demonstrate that the charges fall within the court’s jurisdiction.
The defendants may also challenge the admissibility of evidence, the credibility of witnesses and the government’s account of events during Maduro’s presidency.
Those proceedings are expected to continue well into 2027.
For the Trump administration, the expanded indictment represents another step in the prosecution of a former foreign head of state already being held in American custody.
For the defendants, it introduces additional criminal allegations while their legal teams continue contesting the legitimacy of the prosecution and the circumstances of their detention.
Thursday’s developments leave both Maduro and Flores facing drug-related charges and a new accusation of conspiring to commit torture.
Flores will remain incarcerated following the denial of her request for house arrest, and the court must still address the defendants’ immunity arguments before the scheduled trial.
The next stages of the case will determine whether the prosecution can present its allegations to a jury and whether the evidence supports criminal convictions.
Until then, the charges remain allegations, with Maduro and Flores entitled to contest the government’s claims in federal court.
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