The U.S. federal prosecutor's office presented a new indictment against Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on Thursday, October 8, for alleged conspiracy to commit torture. The document attributes to both the use of repression, arbitrary detentions, and abuses against prisoners to maintain power in Venezuela, in addition to the charges of drug trafficking and arms that they were already facing in U.S. courts.
The court document consists of 30 pages and is registered as document 342 of case 1:11-cr-00205-AKH in the Federal Court for the Southern District of New York. The new charge represents a different step from what CiberCuba reported on Wednesday, when prosecutors were still preparing the charges.
In the introduction, the grand jury accuses Maduro and Flores of having abused their public positions for over 25 years to enrich themselves through corruption and to maintain their power through severe human rights violations. These claims are part of the prosecution's thesis and will need to be proven in the criminal proceedings.
Electric shocks, asphyxiation, and threats against families
The first page of the document describes a system of repression that, according to the accusation, resorted to violence against the opposition, arbitrary detentions, and torture of imprisoned individuals, including American citizens.
Among the methods listed are electrical shocks, asphyxiation, sexual violence, forced nudity, prolonged isolation, deprivation of food, and threats to harm or kill the victims' family members, including minors. The prosecution argues that these abuses were intended to punish or intimidate those who opposed the Chavista regime.
According to Associated Press, the indictment claims that Maduro authorized torture against specific individuals and oversaw a system that used detention and violence as tools of political repression. The document also implicates Flores in the alleged conspiracy.
The journalist David Alandete, who shared the details of the document, notes that the prosecution claims Maduro received reports on interrogations and, in certain instances, gave instructions on how the detainees should be treated. This description attributes alleged responsibilities to the upper echelons of power, not just to the officials who carried out the interrogations.
Three potential collaborators are identified as CC-1, CC-2, and CC-3
Another notable aspect of the new document is the reference to individuals who are not publicly identified by name. According to the description of the document provided by Alandete, three figures appear under the keys CC-1, CC-2, and CC-3, alongside other known and unknown officials and alleged conspirators.
CC-1 is linked in that description to drug trafficking operations, connections with the FARC, and directives within Venezuelan organizations. CC-2 is associated with acts of repression and torture. CC-3 is described as a senior official of the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM) allegedly involved in drug trafficking activities and abuses against detainees.
The identities of those individuals have not been confirmed in the information released. Their mention in the accusation narrative does not mean that they are formally charged in this new document. The cover of the judicial document identifies Maduro and Flores as the accused.
Cartel of the Suns and alleged use of the State to traffic cocaine
The Prosecutor's Office also places the allegations of torture within a broader framework of corruption and drug trafficking. The document, according to the summary released by Alandete, expressly refers to the so-called Cártel de los Soles and attributes to Maduro, Flores, and individuals in their circle involvement in a network protected by military, judicial, and security sectors.
The accusation describes alleged connections with criminal and armed organizations such as the FARC, the ELN, the Sinaloa Cartel, Los Zetas, the Norte del Valle Cartel, and the Tren de Aragua. It also claims that they took advantage of aircraft, vehicles, and state structures to facilitate cocaine trafficking operations.
According to Alandete, the drug trafficking conspiracy described by prosecutors extends until approximately 2025. The new charge of conspiracy to commit torture adds to the offenses related to drug trafficking and weapons that were already part of the case. Not all previous charges necessarily have the same implications for each defendant.
The reports of torture had already been documented by the UN
The statements from the Prosecutor's Office come after years of international investigations into Venezuelan intelligence agencies. The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission documented patterns of serious human rights violations, including arbitrary detentions and torture, especially in the context of political persecution.
Among the bodies highlighted in previous investigations is the DGCIM, an organization linked to allegations of violent interrogations and abuses against opponents. These international reports provide context, but they do not replace the evidence that U.S. prosecutors must present in this specific proceeding.
The evolution of the process is also of particular interest to the Cuban audience due to the close political and economic ties that the governments of Havana and Caracas have maintained for decades. However, this new news pertains to charges made against Maduro and Flores, and criminal responsibility should not be extended to third parties without documented evidence.
Maduro and Flores remain detained in New York
Both were captured in Caracas during a U.S. military operation on January 3, 2026, and remain detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. They have pleaded not guilty to the charges they were already facing.
The defense has also raised arguments related to Maduro's immunity, while Flores has requested house arrest for medical reasons. The prosecutors oppose this request, believing there is a flight risk. The trial is scheduled for June 1, 2027, subject to possible changes in the court's calendar.
The presentation of the new document turns the allegations about the use of torture to maintain chavista power into a specific criminal accusation. The accusations remain claims from the Prosecutor's Office: neither Maduro nor Flores have been convicted of these new charges, and both maintain the presumption of innocence.
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