U.S. prosecutors may bring new charges against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores over the alleged torture of U.S. citizens in Venezuelan prisons. CNN cited anonymous sources, while a New York court spokesperson declined to confirm the report.
CNN, which first reported the possible charges, said they concern more than a dozen Americans who U.S. authorities say were wrongfully detained in Venezuela while Maduro was in power. The network cited unnamed people familiar with the investigation. The charges could be announced as soon as Thursday.
A spokesperson for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York declined to confirm or comment when contacted by Agence France-Presse. Maduro’s lawyer told CBS News he had received no notice that additional charges were being prepared. The reported charges have therefore not been publicly confirmed.
Flores is due in court Thursday, where her lawyers are expected to seek house arrest before trial, citing heart problems. Maduro and Flores already face four charges in New York, including narco-terrorism conspiracy. Both have pleaded not guilty. Their drug-trafficking trial is tentatively scheduled to begin on June 1, 2027.
Maduro and Flores were taken into custody in Caracas during a U.S. military operation in January and are being held in a federal jail in Brooklyn. Since Maduro’s removal from office, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has served as Venezuela’s interim president.