Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are expected to face new criminal charges in the United States related to allegations that Americans detained in Venezuela were tortured, a U.S. official briefed on the investigation said.
The new charges could be filed as soon as Thursday, according to the official. Maduro and Flores were previously brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges after being captured by U.S. military forces from their Caracas home on January 3. They have pleaded not guilty, and their trial is scheduled to begin on June 1, 2027.
A spokesperson for the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office, which is prosecuting the case, declined to comment. Lawyers for Maduro and Flores did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Details regarding the new charges, including the identities of the alleged torture victims, were not immediately available. CNN first reported the potential for new charges on Wednesday.
Maduro's tenure in Venezuela was marked by significant tensions with the United States. Washington accused his government of detaining Americans as a tactic to extract concessions, such as the easing of financial sanctions.
Among the Americans classified by the U.S. as wrongfully detained during Maduro's presidency were five oil executives arrested on corruption charges. They were released in 2022 in exchange for two of Flores’ nephews, who had been convicted in the U.S. on drug trafficking charges.
In another instance, two former U.S. Army Special Forces members arrested in Venezuela in 2020 in connection with a failed raid aimed at ousting Maduro were freed in 2023 as part of a separate prisoner swap.
Since Maduro's capture, Venezuela has been led by his former vice president, Delcy Rodriguez. Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, are currently being held in a federal jail in Brooklyn.
Flores is scheduled to appear in Manhattan federal court on Thursday to request her release from jail before trial due to health reasons. Prosecutors are opposing her release.