Federal prosecutors in New York on Thursday unsealed new charges against ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro that accuse him of conspiring with his wife to torture individuals who were held in Venezuelan prisons.
The new indictment, unsealed in Manhattan federal court, specifically accused his government of torturing Americans because Maduro "assigned blame to the United States for the instability in Venezuela."
Federal prosecutors alleged Maduro "presided over this system of repression and torture" and his wife, Cilia Flores, is accused of helping him develop it.
"When Maduro became President of Venezuela in or about 2013, he authorized the use of torture against specific individuals and oversaw a system designed to use torture, military detention, and violence as a means of repression against the political opposition," the new indictment alleged.
Maduro was charged by superseding indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit torture and Flores was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit torture and one count of narcoterrorism.
"As alleged in the indictment, the Maduro regime subjected over a dozen American citizens to torture while held in custody of the Venezuelan government -- including drugs, electrocution, sexual assault, and more," FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement. "They will now answer for their crimes."
While leader of Venezuela, Maduro allegedly conspired to torture one American for no reason other than he could be "useful in a prisoner exchange with the United States," according to the new indictment.
An American citizen identified in the indictment as Victim-8 had been in Venezuela visiting family when "officers attacked Victim-8 from behind, severely injuring Victim-8's back such that Victim-8 required a lengthy hospital stay," the superseding indictment alleged. Venezuelan officers allegedly "electrocuted Victim-8's testicles and put a pressure device on his ankles, causing him to faint several times" during transport from the hospital to prison, according to the indictment.
Once in prison, the torture continued, prosecutors alleged. On one occasion, one of Victim-8's torturers told him the only reason he was alive was because he was a United States citizen and, therefore, "Victim-8 could be useful in a prisoner exchange with the United States," according to the indictment.
In 2024, after Maduro declared victory following what the United States called a sham election, Venezuelan authorities allegedly beat an American citizen identified as Victim-9, according to the indictment, which alleged, "For two days they beat him with their fists to the face, head, and stomach approximately every half an hour. The beatings caused permanent injury to Victim-9's eye."
After about a year in custody, Victim-9 was released on Jan. 15, 2026, two weeks after Maduro's ouster, according to the indictment. Still, Victim-9 and other Americans were warned "they were not allowed to say the Venezuelan government had hurt them or had otherwise subjected them to abuse," the indictment said.
In January 2002, an American citizen identified as Victim-7 was detained in Venezuela on charges alleging participation in a conspiracy to assassinate Maduro. Victim-7 was taken to a concrete house where officials "tortured him over the course of two or three days," the indictment stated. "Among other things, the officers punched him in the face and abdomen, covered his face and poured a noxious liquid over his face that caused him to vomit, which the officer then forced him to eat."
From there, Victim-7 was transferred to Boleita Norte prison where, the indictment alleged, his torture continued and "included electric shock to Victim-7's arms, legs and genitals; asphyxiation; beatings; deprivation of food and water; and forced injections of a substance that caused Victim-7 to experience seizures."
Maduro did not appear in court Thursday. Flores appeared on a related matter and the federal judge presiding over the case denied her pretrial release on bail.
"Jail is not a nice place to be, but these are serious allegations," Judge Alvin Hellerstein said. "I don't think the conditions are there to release her."
Defense attorney Mark Donnelly said Flores needs a medical procedure and cannot recuperate in a jail cell. He proposed placing Flores under house arrest with a private security detail.
"The conditions that the defense proposes address all the risk of flight concerns that the government may have," Donnelly said.
Federal prosecutors opposed her release. They accused Flores of "horrific acts" and said "witnesses who were in the room" would testify about the torture she allegedly conspired with her husband to carry out.
Maduro and his wife will be arraigned on the new charges at a later date.
Both previously pleaded not guilty to narcoterrorism and drug trafficking charges and maintained their innocence during their first court appearance in January, following their capture by U.S. forces in a military operation in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas.
Maduro's lawyer argued in a court filing last month that the former president is immune from prosecution because he was the leader of a sovereign nation.
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