Venezuela’s Maduro charged in U.S. with ordering torture of opponents, Americans
U.S. prosecutors have filed new charges against former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, accusing them of conspiring to torture political opponents. The couple, currently in U.S. custody, already faces drug trafficking charges.
Why it matters
This represents a significant escalation in U.S. legal action against the former Venezuelan leadership, further straining diplomatic relations.
U.S. prosecutors on Thursday (October 8, 2026) charged ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores with conspiring to torture political opponents and American citizens, adding to the drug trafficking case the couple already faced.
Separately, U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who is overseeing the case, denied a request by Ms. Flores to be released from jail due to health concerns ahead of a trial scheduled for next year.
Mr. Maduro (63), and Ms. Flores, (69), were captured on January 3 in their Caracas home during a U.S. military operation ordered by President Donald Trump, and were flown to New York to face drug charges against them that were announced that same day. A superseding indictment filed in Manhattan federal court on Thursday (October 8, 2026) added the torture count to the existing criminal case.
Also covering this story
5 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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