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New charges are anticipated against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, regarding the alleged torture of Americans detained in Venezuela. Prosecutors in New York may announce these charges as soon as today (Thursday, October 8). The charges focus on the wrongful detention and alleged torture of over a dozen U.S. citizens during Maduro's 13-year rule, as reported by CNN.
Maduro and Flores were captured in January during a U.S. military raid in Caracas and have been held in New York since then. They have pleaded not guilty to existing charges of narcoterrorism conspiracy and other offenses. Flores's lawyer plans to request her transfer to house arrest, while Maduro's lawyer is challenging the legality of his arrest, claiming presidential immunity.
The allegations include testimonies from former detainees like Matthew Heath and Osman Khan, who described experiencing torture methods such as waterboarding and electrocution. The "CITGO 6," a group of American oil executives detained for nearly five years, also reported severe mistreatment, according to i24News.
The United Nations has previously reported that the Directorate General of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM) in Venezuela used torture to extract confessions and intimidate detainees. Federal investigators are considering additional charges against other individuals involved in these alleged acts.