Venezuela's Maduro Charged with Conspiracy to Commit Torture
Fresh charges filed in U.S. add to existing drug and weapons accusations against former leader.
Federal prosecutors in the United States have accused former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, of conspiracy to commit torture. The charges, made public on Thursday, are in addition to existing drug-trafficking and weapons charges that both have denied.
Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, have been in detention since January. They were apprehended by U.S. forces in a pre-dawn raid on their compound in Caracas, Venezuela's capital.
The new accusations specifically relate to the alleged torture of U.S. citizens who were held in Venezuela during Maduro's time in power. Human rights groups and former prisoners in Venezuela have long documented what they describe as systematic torture within Venezuelan jails.
The trial for Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores is scheduled to commence in June 2027.