US Charges Maduro and Wife With Torture on 8 October

VENEZUELA · JUSTICE

A New York indictment accuses Venezuela’s ousted leader and his wife of running a torture system that reached US citizens.

US prosecutors in New York unsealed torture charges against Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on Thursday, 8 October. The Maduro torture charges accuse the couple of overseeing abuse of opponents and, prosecutors say, of multiple US citizens.

That makes the alleged abuse of Americans a formal count in the US case for the first time. The same day, a federal judge refused to let Flores, 69, await trial under house arrest.

What the New Indictment Says

The superseding indictment, which replaces the earlier charging document, came from the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. It says the couple used public office for more than two decades to enrich themselves and keep power through abuses.

Since at least 1999, thousands of Venezuelans were harassed, arrested, tortured or killed to protect that power, the Justice Department says. Methods listed include electric shock, asphyxiation, forced nudity, prolonged isolation, starvation and threats against relatives.

Both defendants now face the same five counts: narcoterrorism conspiracy, conspiracy to commit torture, cocaine importation conspiracy and two weapons counts. The narcoterrorism count is new for Flores, TalCual, a Caracas news site, reported.

The torture count carries up to 20 years in prison. The narcoterrorism count carries a 20-year mandatory minimum and a maximum of life, the Justice Department said.

The indictment also describes three unnamed senior Venezuelan officials who allegedly ordered murders, designed torture methods or tortured detainees themselves. TalCual reported that it cites the case of Leopoldo López, founder of the opposition party Voluntad Popular.

Americans Among the Alleged Victims

US Attorney Jamie McDonald said “multiple United States citizens” were “subjected to unspeakable abuse.” One American detained in Venezuela was allegedly denied food and water, subjected to simulated drowning, beaten, given electric shocks and forcibly injected.

FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X that “the Maduro regime subjected over a dozen American citizens to torture.” El Nacional, citing the Spanish news agency EFE, reported that court papers name at least three American victims.

McDonald also said the couple “abused their positions of trust to enrich themselves through narco-terrorism.” Attorney General Todd Blanche spoke of “delivering justice for the victims of torture, narcoterrorism, and organized crime.”

Drug Enforcement Administration chief Terrance Cole said Maduro’s arrest “was an important step toward accountability, but it was not the last.” The FBI’s New York Field Office led the investigation with its International Human Rights Unit.

Judge Keeps Cilia Flores in Jail

Flores is held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, El Nacional reported. Her lawyers, Mark Donnelly and Andrés Sánchez, offered round-the-clock video monitoring, GPS tracking and private security under house arrest.

They cited heart problems, saying she needs a cardiac catheterisation and has lost two teeth in custody. Prosecutors replied that the Bureau of Prisons would provide care and that she had refused the first procedure.

Judge Alvin Hellerstein called the proposed conditions strict but insufficient, citing flight risk and danger to the community. He noted she is not a US citizen, according to courtroom reporting relayed by TalCual.

The judge said he expects to issue a written decision on Tuesday, 13 October. The formal reading of the new charges to Flores was postponed.

Reaction in Venezuela

Edmundo González Urrutia, the opposition’s 2024 presidential candidate, said the charges put grave human rights violations in the foreground. “Privileges are transitory, but rights must be permanent,” he wrote on X (translated from Spanish).

He noted that the UN Human Rights Council had just renewed its fact-finding mission on Venezuela. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former vice-president, has led the government in Caracas since his capture by US forces on 3 January.

What It Means for You

For US readers, the Maduro torture charges shift part of the case from drug trafficking to alleged crimes against Americans. Prosecutors told the court they have cooperating witnesses who were present, TalCual reported.

For investors and companies dealing with Venezuela, a criminal indictment does not by itself change US sanctions or oil licences. It does mean the former government’s alleged abuses are set to come before a US jury in 2027.

For Venezuelan Americans, the counts move alleged abuses inside Venezuelan prisons into a US courtroom. TalCual noted that the methods described match accounts in reports by international bodies.

What Is Not Known

The exact number of American victims is unclear, and none has been named. The US Attorney says “multiple,” while the FBI director says more than a dozen.

The three senior officials described in the indictment are not named, and it is not known whether any remain in office. How the Rodríguez government will respond to the new charges is also not known.

No arraignment date on the new counts has been set; the judge said he would post one on the court docket. The full reasons for denying Flores bail will only be known once the written ruling is issued.

What Comes Next

Hellerstein’s written ruling on Flores is expected on Tuesday, 13 October. Both defendants are also due to be arraigned on the superseding indictment.

The trial is scheduled to begin on 1 June 2027 in Manhattan, TalCual reported. The new counts are accusations, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Maduro and Flores charged with now?

They face five counts: narcoterrorism conspiracy, conspiracy to commit torture, cocaine importation conspiracy and two weapons counts. The torture count was unsealed on 8 October 2026.

Were Americans tortured, according to the charges?

The Justice Department says multiple US citizens were abused in Venezuelan custody. FBI Director Kash Patel put the number at more than a dozen.

Why is Cilia Flores still in jail?

Judge Alvin Hellerstein ruled that she is a flight risk and a danger to the community. He expects to issue a written decision on 13 October.

When is the trial?

It is scheduled to begin on 1 June 2027 in Manhattan, according to TalCual. Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the earlier charges.

Who runs Venezuela now?

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former vice-president, has led the government since US forces captured him on 3 January 2026.

Sources: US Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York, press release (8 October); FBI Director Kash Patel on X (8 October); Edmundo González Urrutia on X (8 October); TalCual, new torture charge; TalCual, what the indictment describes; TalCual, Flores hearing; El Nacional, bail denied (all accessed 9 October 2026).