Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been charged in the United States with conspiracy to commit torture, adding a major new allegation to the criminal case against the couple.
US prosecutors allege that Maduro and Flores participated in a system of torture and repression used against political opponents and American citizens detained in Venezuela while Maduro was in power.
The new charge was made public on Thursday in a superseding indictment in a US federal court. It comes on top of existing allegations involving drug trafficking and firearms offences, which Maduro and Flores have denied.
The latest allegations bring claims of human rights abuses directly into the US prosecution of the former Venezuelan leader and his wife, potentially making the case one of the most consequential legal proceedings involving a former head of state in recent years.
What is Nicolás Maduro accused of?
US prosecutors allege that Maduro used Venezuela’s security and detention apparatus to intimidate, punish and silence opponents and others considered a threat to his government.
The indictment includes allegations of torture against Venezuelan detainees as well as American citizens held in Venezuelan custody.
Among the allegations reported in the indictment is a 2013 incident involving a Venezuelan military officer who prosecutors say was suspected of plotting a coup. Prosecutors also cite a 2022 case involving an American citizen who was allegedly subjected to electric shocks and beatings after being accused of involvement in a plot to assassinate Maduro.
The allegations remain accusations and have not been established in court.
Americans allegedly tortured in Venezuela
The new charge places particular emphasis on Americans who were detained in Venezuela during Maduro’s presidency.
US authorities have previously raised concerns over the detention of American citizens in Venezuela, including cases involving former military personnel and business executives. Some American detainees were eventually released through negotiations and prisoner exchanges.
The latest indictment allows prosecutors to present allegations concerning the treatment of those detainees as part of the broader criminal case against Maduro and Flores.
The charges also come against a backdrop of longstanding allegations by human rights organisations and former prisoners that Venezuelan security forces subjected detainees to arbitrary detention, physical abuse and torture.
Cilia Flores faces the same new charge
Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, has also been charged with conspiracy to commit torture.
Flores, a former Venezuelan lawmaker and senior political figure, is being prosecuted alongside her husband. She is also facing the existing US charges connected to the broader case.
Flores recently appeared in court seeking release from detention on health grounds. Her lawyers proposed that she be placed under house arrest with private security, but US prosecutors opposed the request, citing concerns including flight risk and public safety.
Maduro and Flores are being held in Brooklyn
Maduro and Flores were captured by US military forces in Caracas on January 3, 2026, and subsequently transported to the United States.
They have been held at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn while the criminal proceedings continue. Their capture and transfer to the US triggered widespread international attention and renewed debate over US-Venezuela relations.
The couple’s existing case centres on allegations of drug trafficking and related offences. They have pleaded not guilty.
The addition of the torture-conspiracy charge substantially broadens the case, shifting part of the focus toward alleged human rights abuses committed during Maduro’s rule.
When will Nicolás Maduro’s trial begin?
Maduro and Flores are scheduled to stand trial in the United States on June 1, 2027.
The trial is expected to draw significant international attention because of Maduro’s former position as Venezuela’s president, the circumstances surrounding his capture and the seriousness of the allegations now before the court.
For prosecutors, the central challenge will be proving that Maduro and Flores knowingly participated in a conspiracy to commit torture, rather than merely demonstrating that abuses occurred within Venezuela’s detention system.
For the defence, the proceedings will provide an opportunity to challenge the prosecution’s evidence, the alleged connection of the defendants to specific acts and the circumstances under which the couple was brought to the United States.
What happens next?
The new indictment does not mean Maduro or Flores have been found guilty. In the US justice system, an indictment is an accusation, and prosecutors must prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The June 2027 trial will therefore be the key stage at which the allegations are tested in court.
The case is being closely watched in Venezuela and internationally because it combines allegations of drug trafficking with claims of torture and the mistreatment of American detainees.
For Maduro, the new charge represents another serious legal challenge following his removal from power and transfer to US custody. For Flores, it adds a potentially significant new count to a prosecution she is already fighting.
The proceedings will ultimately determine whether the US government can substantiate its allegations against the former Venezuelan leader and his wife.
Until a verdict is reached, Maduro and Flores remain presumed innocent of the charges against them.
