U.S. charges Maduro and wife with torture of Americans, political opponents

Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been charged in a U.S. federal court with conspiracy to commit torture. The superseding indictment, unsealed on October 8, 2026, alleges the couple presided over a system of repression involving the torture of political opponents and U.S. citizens. Captured by U.S. Special Forces in January 2026, the pair is currently held in a Brooklyn detention center. During a court appearance on Thursday, a judge denied Flores' request for pretrial release to house arrest, despite her legal team's claims of deteriorating health. Maduro and Flores have pleaded not guilty to all charges, including existing counts of narco-terrorism and drug trafficking, with a trial set for June 2027.

Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been charged in a U.S. federal court with conspiracy to commit torture. The superseding indictment, unsealed on October 8, 2026, alleges the couple presided over a system of repression involving the torture of political opponents and U.S. citizens. Captured by U.S. Special Forces in January 2026, the pair is currently held in a Brooklyn detention center. During a court appearance on Thursday, a judge denied Flores' request for pretrial release to house arrest, despite her legal team's claims of deteriorating health. Maduro and Flores have pleaded not guilty to all charges, including existing counts of narco-terrorism and drug trafficking, with a trial set for June 2027.