ByREUTERS

Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are expected to face new criminal charges in the US over the alleged torture of Americans held in the South American country, a US official said on Wednesday.

The announcement could come as soon as Thursday, the official said.

Maduro and Flores were captured by the US military from their homes in Caracas on January 3 and brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges. They have pleaded not guilty.

A spokesperson for the Manhattan US Attorney's office, which brought the charges, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Lawyers for Maduro and Flores did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is escorted to face US federal charges including narco-terrorism, conspiracy, drug trafficking, money laundering and others, at Downtown Manhattan Heliport, in New York City, US, January 5, 2026
Captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is escorted to face US federal charges including narco-terrorism, conspiracy, drug trafficking, money laundering and others, at Downtown Manhattan Heliport, in New York City, US, January 5, 2026 (credit: Reuters/Adam Gray)

The possibility of new charges was first reported by CNN on Wednesday.

Details of the new charges, including the identities of the alleged torture victims, were not immediately available.

Citizens wrongfully detained 

Maduro's 13 years in power in oil-rich Venezuela were marked by tensions with the United States. Washington said that several of its citizens were wrongfully detained in the South American country during his tenure.

Venezuela has been led since Maduro's capture by his former vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, who has increased cooperation with the Trump administration.