Federal prosecutors are preparing new indictments that would accuse former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, of playing a role in the torture of Americans detained in Venezuelan prisons. According to outlets reporting on a CBS briefing, the charges would build upon earlier allegations of drug trafficking and weapons possession.
In a dramatic night‑time raid on 3 January, U.S. forces seized Maduro and Flores from their compound in Caracas and escorted them to federal court in New York. They have denied all charges, claiming that they are being targeted for political reasons.
The lawsuit, already cited by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Manhattan, names Maduro, Flores, and 14 additional individuals in a 2020 indictment that tied the former president to a cocaine‑trafficking conspiracy linked with designated terrorist cartels. Prosecutors say the group used “positions of public trust” to import large volumes of cocaine into the United States.
Maduro’s legal team asked the judge to dismiss the new claims, arguing that as a head of state and pending his current status, he enjoys sovereign immunity and that his forcible removal from Venezuela is illegal. The court has yet to decide on these requests.
Flores is already recommended for a bond hearing in Manhattan, while the combined trial for her and Maduro is slated for the following year. The case has drawn reactions from governments across the globe that argue the U.S. should respect Venezuela’s judicial sovereignty, while American officials insist the charges are grounded in international law and evidence.
