US court formally charges Nicolás Maduro over torture

The US justice system expanded charges against ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and formally indicted Cilia Flores for conspiracy to commit torture, according to the AlbertoNews portal. The new court filing, released this Thursday, October 9, 2026, argues that both used a system of violence and repression to hold on to power in the South American country.

According to information published by Runrunes, a US federal court denied house arrest requested by Cilia Flores's defense team. She is 69 years old. Her lawyers had argued that heart problems that allegedly could not be adequately treated in prison, seeking to have the former first lady remain in a residence under constant surveillance in New York.

Meanwhile, coverage by El Nacional detailed that US prosecutors revealed new elements of the accusations, linking the former president to alleged debt negotiations using explosives from the Bolivarian National Armed Forces. Prosecutors state in the case file that thousands of Venezuelans suffered persecution, arbitrary detention and violent methods under the orders of the previous government.

Maduro and Flores have been held in New York since early January 2026, following a military operation carried out in Caracas. Both have pleaded not guilty to earlier charges related to drug trafficking, while they now face additional proceedings that could result in life sentences.