US prosecutors to bring torture charges against Maduro and wife over detained Americans
Federal prosecutors plan to charge Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores with torture related to the alleged mistreatment of over a dozen US citizens detained in Venezuela during Maduro's rule, adding to existing drug trafficking charges.
Omar Al Nuaimi
US Prosecutors to Bring Torture Charges Against Maduro and Wife
US prosecutors are preparing to file torture charges against ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores over the alleged mistreatment of Americans held in Venezuelan government custody, CNN reported Wednesday. The charges could be announced as soon as Thursday.
The new allegations relate to the wrongful detention of over a dozen US citizens in Venezuela during Maduro's rule. According to sources familiar with the investigation, prosecutors are also considering charging several other individuals for their alleged role in torturing Americans.
Capture During Military Raid
Maduro and Flores were captured on January 3, 2026, during a US military raid codenamed Operation Absolute Resolve. The operation involved more than 200 US special operations forces and 150 military aircraft, including F-22s, F-35s, and B-1 bombers, and lasted approximately 2.5 hours. Following the raid, all known American detainees in Venezuela were released by late January 2026.
Extensive Existing Charges
The torture allegations add to an already extensive legal case against the couple. Maduro and Flores currently face drug trafficking and firearms charges first unsealed in March 2020, when the State Department offered a $15 million reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest. The indictment alleges Maduro led a drug trafficking organization called The Cartel of the Suns that worked with the FARC rebel group and other cartels including Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel and Los Zetas to ship tons of cocaine into the United States since at least 1999.
Among the cases that may inform the torture charges is that of the CITGO 6, a group of six American oil executives detained in Venezuela in 2017 and held for nearly five years. The executives alleged they were subjected to torture while imprisoned in the notorious Helicoide prison.
Current Legal Status
Both defendants are being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and have pleaded not guilty to all charges. Maduro faces four counts including narco-terrorism conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 50 years in prison, with potential for life sentences if convicted on all counts. Flores faces three counts and has similarly denied all allegations.
Health Concerns and House Arrest Request
Flores is scheduled to appear in court Thursday for a hearing on her request to be moved from custody to house arrest due to reported heart problems. According to defense filings, she has lost over 11 kilograms during her detention and has documented episodes of chest pain, arrhythmias, ventricular tachycardia, and breathing difficulties. An April stress test was halted due to chest pain.
The US government has formally opposed the house arrest request, describing Flores as posing an extreme risk of flight and danger to the public. Her defense has proposed 24-hour armed surveillance, electronic monitoring, and passport confiscation as conditions for release.
The couple's trial on the existing drug trafficking and firearms charges is scheduled to begin June 1, 2027, with pretrial motions set for later in 2026 and a final pretrial conference scheduled for late May 2027. Prosecutors declined to comment when contacted by AFP.
