Federal prosecutors in New York are expected to bring new charges against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, over the alleged torture of Americans held in Venezuelan government prisons, according to sources cited by CBS News and CNN. The reported charges would add to an existing federal indictment accusing the couple of running a massive cocaine trafficking scheme.
Barry Pollack, an attorney for Maduro, told CBS News he has not been given notice that additional charges are coming.
What Happened
More than a dozen Americans were wrongfully detained by the Venezuelan government during Maduro’s time in power, according to U.S. government allegations cited by CBS News. Prosecutors are reportedly considering additional defendants beyond Maduro and Flores for their alleged roles in the torture of those detained Americans, according to CBS News.
The reported torture allegations would stack on top of charges Maduro and Flores already face. A federal grand jury indicted the couple in January on charges tied to an alleged scheme to import thousands of tons of cocaine into the United States. Maduro faces four counts in that indictment: narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machineguns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machineguns and destructive devices. Both Maduro and Flores have pleaded not guilty.
Maduro and Flores were taken into custody by the U.S. military in an overnight operation and brought to the United States to face the drug trafficking charges, according to CBS News. The case was filed in the Southern District of New York, where Maduro and 14 others were first indicted in March 2020 during the first Trump administration.
Responses
Pollack’s statement that he has received no notice of additional charges is the only response from Maduro’s side addressed in reporting on the potential torture case. No statement from Flores or her legal team regarding the torture allegations has been reported.
Maduro and Flores have separately asked U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein to dismiss the drug trafficking indictment, arguing they hold immunity as leaders of a foreign country. Hellerstein has not yet heard arguments on those immunity motions, according to CBS News.
What It Means
The reported torture case would mark an expansion of the federal effort against Maduro and his inner circle, which has already produced cooperation from at least one former official. Alex Saab, who served as a minister of industry in Maduro’s government, pleaded guilty in September to one count of money laundering tied to an alleged bribery conspiracy and agreed to cooperate in ongoing federal investigations into the Maduro regime.
That cooperation deal came months after CBS News reported in May that federal prosecutors in Miami were ordered to open a new criminal investigation into Maduro amid concerns that the pending prosecution against him was weak.
What’s Next
Flores is due in federal court in the Southern District of New York on Thursday for a bond hearing in the existing drug trafficking case. A trial date in that case has tentatively been set for June 2027. No court date has been reported for the potential torture charges, which have not yet been filed.
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