Miami
NUEVA YORK Maduro and Cilia Flores may face new charges in New York over alleged torture of Americans
Federal prosecutors are expected to move forward with a new case against Nicolás Maduro and his wife in Manhattan. According to CBS News Miami, the matter is tied to the alleged abuse of Americans held in Venezuelan prisons.
Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, may face new federal charges on Thursday in Manhattan in a case that, according to CBS News Miami, is tied to the alleged torture of Americans who were imprisoned in Venezuela.
Fox News reported that the expected new charges were set to be addressed in federal court in Manhattan, where U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald was also expected to speak after a 10:30 a.m. hearing.
According to CBS News Miami, prosecutors are also considering charges against additional people over their alleged role in the torture of more than a dozen Americans who, that outlet reported, were wrongfully detained by the Venezuelan government while Maduro was in power.
Maduro and Flores are already facing drug trafficking charges after being taken into U.S. custody in January, and both have pleaded not guilty. CBS News Miami reported that the couple was indicted by a federal grand jury in January in a case in which prosecutors say they took part in a scheme to bring cocaine into the United States and enrich themselves along with relatives and senior Venezuelan officials.
That outlet also said Maduro faces four counts: narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.
According to CBS News Miami, Flores was due in the Southern District of New York on Thursday for a bond hearing, and the trial has been tentatively scheduled for June 2027. Her lawyer, Barry Pollack, told the outlet he had not been notified of any additional charges.
CBS News Miami also reported that Maduro and Flores asked Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein to dismiss the drug trafficking indictment, arguing that they have immunity as leaders of a foreign country, a request the court has not yet heard.
Sources
About this piece. Written by El Notero with AI assistance, from reporting published by the outlet cited above. El Notero did no original reporting on this story.
