< Back to all clusters
[INTERNATIONAL] · United States, Venezuela · 100 sources

started · updated

Maduro and Cilia Flores face new U.S. charges for conspiracy to commit torture

U.S. federal prosecutors in Manhattan have introduced new charges against former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, for conspiracy to commit torture. The indictment alleges that the couple oversaw a repressive system used to silence political opposition and target more than a dozen American citizens held in Venezuelan prisons. Specific allegations include the use of electric shocks, physical beatings, and other forms of abuse.

In addition to the torture charges, Cilia Flores faces a new charge of conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism, an accusation previously applied only to Maduro. These new counts are being added to their existing case in the Southern District of New York, which includes charges related to cocaine importation and possession of destructive weapons.

During a recent court proceeding, Judge Alvin Hellerstein denied a request from Flores's legal team for house arrest. Her defense argued that she is suffering from severe cardiac health issues, including ventricular tachycardia and significant weight loss, while being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. Prosecutors opposed the request, citing her extreme flight risk and potential danger to public safety.

Entities

Alvin Hellerstein · Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center · Cilia Flores · Kash Patel · New York · New York Southern District Court · Nicolás Maduro · Southern District of New York · U.S. Department of Justice · United States · United States Attorney's Office · United States Department of Justice

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Sources