Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores Charged with Conspiracy to Torture Americans

<p>The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has charged former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores with conspiracy to commit torture against Americans and others to maintain power, according to a superseding indictment filed on October 5, 2026.</p><p>The indictment states that Maduro's government "presided over a system of repression that relied on violence against political opposition, arbitrary detention, and the torture of detainees, including United States citizens."</p><p>The alleged torture methods included "electric shock, asphyxiation, rape, forced nudity, prolonged isolation, starvation, punishment cells, and psychological torture, such as threats to harm and kill victims' families, including children," as detailed in the indictment.</p><p>The charge carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment if any of the alleged torture results in death, and a maximum of 20 years in prison if not.</p><p>One incident described in the indictment alleges that a U.S. detainee in Venezuela was beaten for several days and doused with a noxious liquid that caused vomiting, which Venezuelan officers then allegedly forced him to consume.</p><p>The detainee, accused of plotting to kill Maduro, was also reportedly subjected to electric shock torture and injected with a substance that induced seizures.</p><p>According to the indictment, "On one occasion, CC-3 personally observed Victim-7 being electrocuted; laughed at and taunted Victim-7 during the electric shock; and directed other DGCIM officers in connection with the electric shock."</p><p>After spending eight-and-a-half months at Boleíta Norte prison in Venezuela, the detainee was released and returned to the U.S. in October 2022.</p><p>The indictment claims that Maduro and Flores "inflicted severe physical and mental pain and suffering to repress and punish political opposition, silence dissent and perceived dissent, preserve and protect the power and authority of the members of the conspiracy, and intimidate, harass, and neutralize their opponents, including through kidnappings."</p><p>The couple, who face numerous other charges, were arrested in Venezuela in January during Operation Absolute Resolve. Maduro was originally charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices in a 2011 indictment that was unsealed by the Department of Justice in 2020.</p><p>Flores was charged in a superseding indictment in January with cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices. Both have pleaded not guilty, and a trial is scheduled for June 2027.</p><p>Flores appeared in court on October 5 for a bond hearing regarding her motion for release from jail. Her lawyers requested home confinement with GPS tracking, citing a heart condition and arguing that she does not pose a danger to the community. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein denied the request.</p><p>The U.S. government opposes her release, arguing that she poses a flight risk and danger to the public.</p><p>Flores' attorneys state that she denies the allegations against her, and both she and Maduro have filed motions to dismiss based on diplomatic immunity grounds.</p>