A widening U.S. criminal case against former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, now includes torture conspiracy charges; both pleaded not guilty in a New York court, The Independent reported.
The added charges expand a case in which Maduro and Flores already faced allegations that they abused their power to help drug traffickers ship cocaine, the outlet reported. Manhattan federal prosecutors allege Maduro ordered officials to torture political opponents and military personnel he considered threats to his rule, according to The Independent.
The report describes a separate alleged plan to kidnap military personnel to obtain information about possible dissidents. When some resisted questioning, Maduro allegedly urged officials to apply more pressure. The indictment says Flores backed the approach and rejected a suggestion to gather information by embedding people in the military, The Independent reported. Neither Maduro nor Flores is accused of personally carrying out torture.
The U.S. military captured the couple at their Caracas home Jan. 3 and brought them to New York, The Independent reported. The outlet also said successive U.S. administrations had sanctioned Venezuelan officials and state companies over alleged human rights violations, corruption and election-rigging. A conviction on all charges would carry a mandatory 50-year minimum prison term for each, according to the report. The Independent reported that the trial is scheduled to begin June 1, 2027.
