A superseding indictment was unsealed in Manhattan federal court, charging former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, with conspiracy to commit torture. The papers were released shortly before Flores appeared in court seeking pre‑trial release, a request denied by Judge Alvin Hellerstein. Maduro and Flores have been held in New York City since early January after U.S. special forces seized them in a predawn raid on Caracas, a move that sparked widespread international outrage.
The indictment builds on earlier charges of narcoterrorism and alleges that Maduro led a corrupt, illegitimate regime that used state power to protect and profit from illegal activities, including drug trafficking. It claims the couple orchestrated a system of repression that relied on violence, arbitrary detention, and torture of political opponents, including U.S. citizens. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty in the criminal case against them.
Court documents detail a range of alleged torture methods. One U.S. citizen was reportedly deprived of food and water, subjected to simulated drowning, repeated beatings, electric shocks to the testicles, and forced injections. Other victims endured threats that their daughters would be kidnapped and raped, and were forced to drink latrine water or exposed to tear gas and continuous bright lights in a so‑called “Freezer” cell. The indictment also describes the abuse of a friend of a suspected opponent with asphyxiation, electric shocks, and physical beatings.
During the bail hearing, Flores’ attorneys cited chronic health problems, including cardiac issues and significant weight loss, arguing for house arrest with 24‑hour private security. Judge Hellerstein rejected the request, noting that Flores had refused catheterization while in the general population and that her medical conditions were manageable with medication. Prosecutors maintained that Flores was a flight risk and had received appropriate medical care.
Former President Donald Trump defended the raid as a “surgical law enforcement operation” and described Maduro as a “kidnapped president.” Trump also announced an oil agreement with Venezuela, claiming U.S. control over a majority of the country’s 65 billion‑barrel reserves, though a Guardian investigation suggests the deal faces significant legal and logistical hurdles.
