Federal prosecutors are expected to bring additional charges against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, according to the BBC’s US media partner CBS.
The new accusations claim that the pair played a role in the torture of Americans detained in Venezuelan prisons, a claim that could broaden the already extensive case against them.
Maduro and Flores were seized in a dramatic night‑time raid on 3 January near Caracas and brought to New York to face initial indictments for alleged weapons and drug offences – charges they deny.
The US Attorney’s office in Manhattan has also indicated that further individuals might be charged for aiding the suspected torture of more than a dozen American detainees.
Maduro’s attorney, Barry Pollack, told CBS that his client was not notified of any new accusations, while Flores is scheduled for a bond hearing on Thursday.
Both men face an indictment that dates back to 2020, originally cited by the previous administration, which alleged a narcotics conspiracy, narco‑terrorism, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices.
Prosecutors allege that Maduro’s family abused their public positions to import massive amounts of cocaine into the United States, working with cartels designated as terrorist organisations.
Maduro has repeatedly described the prosecution as an instrument of “imperial” agendas to access Venezuela’s oil reserves, while the defence argues that his sovereign status protects him from imprisonment.
The judge has yet to rule on the immunity claim, and the trial is scheduled to commence in June 2027, underscoring a complex clash of international law, human rights, and transnational crime concerns.
