Maduro and wife set to face charges over alleged torture of Americans, US official says

By Reuters Today, 2:32 am

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This courtroom sketch shows deposed president of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro (center), attending his arraignment at Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse on January 5, 2026, in New York, with defense lawyers Barry Pollack (left) and Mark Donnelly (right). (Jane Rosenberg/AFP)

WASHINGTON — Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are expected to face new criminal charges in the United States over allegations that Americans detained in Venezuela were tortured, a US official says.

The new charges could come as soon as today, according to the official, who was briefed on the investigation.

Maduro, who led Venezuela for 13 years, and Flores were captured by the US military 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 scheduled to go on trial starting June 1, 2027.

A spokesperson for the Manhattan US Attorney’s Office, which brought the charges, declines to comment.

Lawyers for Maduro and Flores do not immediately respond to requests for comment.