Venezuela’s Maduro to face new US charges over alleged torture of Americans, official says
Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are expected to face new criminal charges in the US over the alleged torture of Americans held in the South American country, a US official said on Wednesday. The new charges could come as soon as Thursday, according to the official, who was briefed on the investigation. Maduro and Flores were captured by the US military from…
Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are reportedly set to face additional charges this week, the BBC has reported. According to CBS, the new allegations allege their involvement in the torture of Americans held in Venezuelan prisons. The United States forces apprehended the couple in a nighttime raid in Caracas back on January 3rd and transferred them to New York for further legal proceedings.
Maduro and Flores were initially arrested in connection with weapon and drug offenses, which they vehemently deny. According to CBS, further individuals could also face charges for allegedly participating in the torture of more than a dozen Americans wrongfully detained during Maduro's regime.
Maduro's legal counsel, Barry Pollack, has not been informed of any new charges, according to CBS. Flores, who is currently facing drug trafficking and weapons charges, is due to appear in a New York federal court for a bond hearing on Thursday. The trial for both Maduro and Flores is slated to commence in June 2027.
The US accuses Maduro of engaging in narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine-importation conspiracy, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices. The prosecution further claims that Maduro, his wife and son, along with their associates, orchestrated a cocaine-trafficking scheme and allied with terrorist organizations. They further allege that the accused individuals misused their official positions to illegally import vast amounts of cocaine into the United States.
Maduro has previously dismissed these charges as part of an attempt to usurp Venezuela's oil reserves, a move he terms as "imperial." Both Maduro and his wife's attorneys have requested the court to dismiss these charges, arguing that he is the head of a sovereign nation and thus immune from prosecution. They further claim that the US' forcible removal of Maduro is unlawful. The judge has yet to rule on these requests.
Written by urgent.news from BBC News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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