Venezuelan Ex-President Maduro Faces New Indictment on Torture Charges
Nicolás Maduro, former President of Venezuela, is facing new charges from U.S. authorities accusing him of conspiring to torture citizens to maintain his power. This recent indictment compound charges of drug trafficking. Previously accused of sending cocaine to the U.S., Maduro now confronts allegations of human rights violations during his presidency.
The indictment details that Maduro sanctioned torture methods against specific individuals and managed a system designed to suppress political opposition through torture, arbitrary detention, and violence. This system reportedly involved electric shocks, beatings, and asphyxiation. Thousands of Venezuelans were allegedly harassed, threatened, arrested, prosecuted, assaulted, tortured, or killed under Maduro’s regime.
The document asserts that Maduro approved torture techniques and used threats, including the potential harm of a prisoner’s child, as psychological torture. A message for comments was sent to Maduro’s lawyer, but no response has been provided.
Both Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who face torture conspiracy charges, have been detained in New York since early January. Captured during a raid on their Caracas home, both have entered not guilty pleas regarding the U.S. drug allegations first filed against them and various co-conspirators. They were already facing possible life imprisonment if convicted.
The International Criminal Court has been investigating Maduro for years over potential crimes against humanity linked to his crackdown on adversaries. He consistently denies any misconduct.
Alleged U.S. Citizen Victims
The revised indictment highlights the involvement of Venezuela’s DGCIM military intelligence agency, previously led by Gen. Hugo Carvajal, a co-defendant who turned against Maduro, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, and is willing to testify against him. The indictment notes that three U.S. citizens were among the torture victims, though their identities are undisclosed.
One American was reportedly punched, subjected to electric shocks, and forced to eat vomit during eight months of imprisonment. Another endured severe beatings, required extensive hospitalization, and had a gun shoved into his mouth. The third was handcuffed, hooded, and repeatedly beaten, resulting in permanent eye injury.
Maduro has historically disregarded U.S. court lawsuits filed by Americans who claimed abuse during Venezuelan custody.
Cilia Flores Seeks Medical Release
Flores appeared in court to petition for release from jail, arguing for house arrest due to heart issues. Her legal team seeks dismissal of the case, claiming immunity as Venezuela’s former leaders. They also state that her heart conditions cannot be adequately addressed in prison, suggesting she be placed under strict surveillance at a New York residence. Her arrest allegedly caused permanent scarring when she was thrown against an object.
Her attorneys report she has shed 25 pounds (11 kilograms) while detained at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center and may require heart surgery. They claim she experiences lightheadedness, dizziness, and shortness of breath, possibly having suffered a mild heart attack in July.
Prosecutors oppose bail, citing her as an “extreme risk of flight and danger to the public.” They assured that necessary medical treatments are accessible to Flores. President Donald Trump’s administration, which defended the operation to capture Maduro as an effective law enforcement tactic, considers the capture justified, while Maduro labels himself a prisoner of war and views his seizure as a kidnapping.
Meanwhile, Flores, accused of joining a cocaine importation scheme with Maduro, is portrayed by her lawyers as unlikely to escape, dedicated to supporting her husband.