Maduro to face rewritten indictment in New York federal court

Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are scheduled to appear in a New York federal court on Thursday to answer a rewritten indictment that accuses them of leading a state-sponsored campaign of repression involving torture. The charges are an addition to a drug trafficking indictment previously brought against the couple.

Maduro and Flores were taken from their Caracas home by U.S. military forces in January. Their attorneys have argued that the case should be dismissed on grounds of immunity, citing their former roles as leader and first lady of Venezuela.

According to the revised indictment, Maduro allegedly oversaw a system of repression that included beatings, asphyxiation, and electric shocks against victims. The indictment claims Maduro personally recommended torture methods, received updates on specific victims' treatment, and used threats against a prisoner's child as psychological torture. Flores, who previously served as Venezuela's attorney general, is accused of helping to develop this system and ordering the torture of certain individuals.

Maduro, who served as Venezuela's president from 2013 until his January capture, has been under investigation by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity related to his crackdown on opponents. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing. In the earlier U.S. drug case, Maduro and Flores pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiring to traffic cocaine into the United States.