Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, wife to face new charges in US: ‘Detained Americans were tortured’ — What we know so far

Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores may soon face new criminal charges in the United States, according to a US official. The alleged charges stem from claims that Americans detained in Venezuela were tortured, a possibility first reported by CNN on Wednesday. The identities of the alleged torture victims and the nature of the charges have not been disclosed at this time.

The US is accused Maduro's government of detaining Americans as leverage to obtain concessions like relief from financial sanctions. Among those wrongfully detained were five oil executives arrested on graft charges, who were released in 2022 after a prisoner swap, and two former US Army Special Forces members arrested in 2020, who were freed in 2023.

A spokesperson for the Manhattan US Attorney's office declined to comment on the potential new charges. Maduro and Flores, both 63 and 69 years old respectively, were captured by US military forces from their home in Caracas on January 3 and brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges. They have pleaded not guilty and are set to go on trial beginning June 1, 2027.

Flores is scheduled to appear in Manhattan federal court on Thursday to request her release from jail due to health concerns, but prosecutors oppose her release. Since Maduro's capture, his former vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, has taken over leadership, increasing cooperation with the Trump administration.