Federal prosecutors in New York have unsealed a new indictment against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. They are accused of conspiring to torture people held in Venezuelan prisons.
The superseding indictment filed in Manhattan federal court alleges that Maduro authorized torture of political opponents and presided over a system of repression. Prosecutors say the government used torture, military detention and violence to suppress opposition. Flores is accused of helping her husband develop the system. The allegations have not been tested in court.
Prosecutors said more than a dozen US citizens were tortured while held in Venezuelan custody. The indictment cites methods including electric shocks, beatings, sexual assault, asphyxiation, deprivation of food and water, and forced injections. It recounts accounts from several Americans detained in different years. Their names are withheld and they are identified as Victims 7, 8 and 9.
Maduro did not appear in court on Thursday. Flores appeared for a related hearing. Judge Alvin Hellerstein denied her pretrial release on bail. Her lawyer said she needed a medical procedure and proposed house arrest with private security. Prosecutors opposed her release, citing the seriousness of the allegations and expected witness testimony.
Maduro faces an additional count of conspiracy to commit torture. Flores is charged with that conspiracy and with narcoterrorism conspiracy. The couple previously pleaded not guilty to narcoterrorism and drug-trafficking charges after US forces captured them in Caracas in January. They are due to be arraigned on the new charges at a later date.