Breaking: US Charges Ex-Venezuelan President Maduro, Wife With Torture Conspiracy, Other Crimes
- US prosecutors filed new torture charges against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, adding to existing drug trafflcking allegations already before a New York court
- The revised indictment named Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores, as a co-conspirator in a system that allegedly used electric shocks, beatings and asphyxiation against political opponents
- Among the alleged victims are three American citizens who suffered serious injuries during detention in Venezuela under Maduro's government
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American federal prosecutors have expanded their criminal case against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, filing new torture conspiracy charges against him and his wife, Cilia Flores, on Thursday.
Maduro, who already faces drug trafflcking charges tied to an alleged plot to flood the United States with c0caine, is now accused of personally authorising and overseeing a system of political repression that targeted opposition figures throughout his time in power. Both he and Flores have been held at a detention facility in New York since January, when U.S. forces removed them from their home in Caracas in an overnight operation.
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What the Revised Indictment Alleges
According to the updated charges, Maduro approved specific torture methods, requested progress reports on how individual detainees were being treated, watched a video of a forced confession, and personally threatened to have a prisoner's child killed as a psychological weapon. The indictment claims thousands of Venezuelans were "harassed, threatened, arrested, prosecuted, assaulted, tortured, or killed" by agents acting on behalf of his government.
Flores, a former legislator and attorney general, is accused of helping build the repressive apparatus and of directing the abuse of certain individuals. Her lawyer told the court he had not yet had time to examine the new allegations.
Venezuela's feared DGCIM military intelligence agency features heavily in the indictment. The agency was led for many years by General Hugo Carvajal, a former Maduro ally who later broke with him, pleaded guilty to drug trafficklng charges in New York, and has offered to testify against his former boss.
Three of the alleged torture victims are described as U.S. citizens, though none are named in the indictment. One endured eight months of imprisonment that included punching, electric shocks and being forced to eat his own vomit. A second was beaten severely enough to require a lengthy hospital stay and had a firearm placed in his mouth. A third was blindfolded, restrained and beaten every 30 minutes over two days, sustaining a permanent eye injury.
Matthew Heath, a former U.S. Marine from Tennessee who was detained in Venezuela in 2020 for over two years, won a $300 million default judgment against Maduro in May alongside another former prisoner. On learning of the new charges, Heath said: "It's incredible to see a dictator in court. The Maduro prosecution will do more to prevent the kidnapping of Americans by rogue regimes than a hundred press releases from the United Nations."
Flores Denied Release Despite Health Concerns
At a separate hearing on Thursday, a judge rejected a bid by Flores' legal team to have her placed under house arrest. Her lawyers argued that the 69-year-old has lost 25 pounds since her detention began, may have suffered a minor heart attack in July, and could require heart surgery. U.S. District Court Judge Alvin Hellerstein denied the request, noting that Flores had declined a procedure that could help determine the severity of her condition, and that her blood pressure was already being managed with medication. Prosecutors described her as an extreme flight risk.
Both Maduro and Flores have pleaded not guilty to all charges and face life imprisonment if convicted.
Source: Legit.ng
