Maduro Faces New US Torture-Conspiracy Charge as Prosecutors Detail Alleged Abuses

NEW YORK, United States — Former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been charged with conspiracy to commit torture in a new indictment filed by US federal prosecutors, adding a serious human rights allegation to the criminal case they were already facing over alleged drug trafficking.

The charge was announced on Thursday, October 8, 2026, in Manhattan federal court. Prosecutors allege that Maduro and Flores were involved in a system of repression in Venezuela that used torture and other abuses against people regarded as threats to the government.

The indictment describes alleged torture involving nine individuals, including three US citizens. Prosecutors also allege that state authorities threatened, arrested, tortured or killed thousands of Venezuelans between 1999 and 2025. These remain allegations, not findings of guilt.

What prosecutors allege

According to the indictment, alleged abuses included electric shocks, beatings, asphyxiation and psychological torture. Prosecutors contend that Maduro approved certain methods, received updates about the treatment of detainees and, in one case, threatened to kill a prisoner's child.

One incident described in the filing concerns a Venezuelan military officer arrested in 2013 on suspicion of plotting a coup. Prosecutors allege that military counterintelligence personnel repeatedly shocked the officer with an electric wire and suspended the individual by the hands and feet during interrogation.

Another case concerns a US citizen detained in Venezuela in 2022 on accusations of plotting to assassinate Maduro. The indictment alleges that the detainee was beaten and subjected to electric shocks while in custody.

The allegations also implicate Flores. Prosecutors contend that she helped develop the repressive system and ordered torture in specific cases. Her lawyers have denied the allegations.

Maduro denies the new charges

Maduro's lawyer, Barry Pollack, said the former president denies the charges and looks forward to his day in court. Flores' lawyers have also said she denies the allegations and intend to respond through the legal process.

The new charge adds to an existing US prosecution involving allegations of cocaine-importation conspiracy, narco-terrorism conspiracy and weapons offences. Maduro and Flores previously pleaded not guilty to the original charges; as of Thursday's reporting, they had not yet entered pleas to the new indictment.

If convicted of all the charges, the pair could face lengthy prison sentences. Reuters reported that each would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 50 years if convicted of all charges, while AP reported that they could face life imprisonment.

A case with international implications

Maduro served as Venezuela's president from 2013 until his capture on January 3, 2026, during a US military operation in Caracas. He and Flores were taken to the United States and have been detained in Brooklyn, New York, while the case proceeds.

The new indictment marks the first time Maduro has faced criminal charges in the United States specifically over the alleged torture abuses described by prosecutors, Reuters reported. He has also faced years of scrutiny over alleged crimes against humanity connected to the Venezuelan government's treatment of opponents.

The couple's trial is scheduled for June 1, 2027. Their defence has challenged the existing prosecution, arguing that they are entitled to immunity as the leaders of a foreign country.

For now, the central legal question is whether prosecutors can prove their allegations in court. The indictment sets out the government's case; it does not establish that Maduro or Flores is guilty.

Source BBC NEWS