Maduro faces new torture charge in U.S.
October 8 2026
Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been hit with a new criminal charge in the United States, with federal prosecutors accusing him of conspiring to torture political opponents and other detainees during his years in power.
The charge was contained in a superseding indictment unsealed Thursday in Manhattan federal court, adding conspiracy to commit torture to the serious criminal allegations already facing Maduro. His wife, Cilia Flores, was also charged with conspiracy to commit torture and faces additional allegations in the case.
According to prosecutors, Maduro allegedly authorized and oversaw a system of repression that used arbitrary detention, violence and torture against political opponents. The indictment alleges that torture included electric shocks, beatings, asphyxiation, forced nudity, prolonged isolation, starvation and psychological abuse.
U.S. authorities further allege that more than a dozen American citizens were subjected to torture while detained by the Venezuelan government. The indictment reportedly details cases involving electric shocks, beatings and other forms of abuse.
The allegations concern Maduro’s administration, which he led from 2013 until his capture in January 2026. U.S. forces seized Maduro and Flores in Caracas and transported them to New York, where they have remained in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
Maduro and Flores were already facing U.S. charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine-importation conspiracy and weapons-related offenses. They have pleaded not guilty to the earlier charges and have denied wrongdoing.
The new torture allegations significantly expand the scope of the U.S. prosecution. Prosecutors contend that the alleged abuses were part of a broader effort to suppress opposition and maintain Maduro’s grip on power.
Maduro has previously challenged the U.S. prosecution, with his lawyers arguing that he should be protected by immunity associated with his position as Venezuela’s head of state.
His trial is currently scheduled for June 1, 2027. The torture allegations remain accusations contained in an indictment, and Maduro is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
