Joseph St. Clair, a former technical sergeant of the U.S. Air Force who spent six months in a Venezuelan prison, reacted with satisfaction to the new criminal charges brought by federal prosecutors against Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, according to U.S. media.
St. Clair, a veteran with nine years of service and four deployments in Afghanistan, was arrested in November 2024 near the colombo-Venezuelan border while traveling to Colombia to address post-traumatic stress disorder.
He remained in El Rodeo prison, on the outskirts of Caracas, until May 2025, when special envoy Richard Grenell negotiated his release with the support of President Donald Trump.
"I know that most of us were asking for this."
Upon learning about the new positions, St. Clair did not hide his satisfaction in statements to journalist Erika Angulo from NBC News.
"It is a great satisfaction to see him. The idea that so many were convinced he could be set free — and that others even advocated for it — was exceedingly frustrating. I know that most of us were calling for this from the very moment he set foot on U.S. soil, he stated."
The veteran also appreciated the work of the Prosecutor's Office.
"I am glad that the Department of Justice and the prosecutors were able to successfully build this case. The Maduro regime did not respect the rule of law or any form of due process or justice. Unlike his victims, he will have his day in court, and I trust he will learn what justice is the hard way," he added.
The new charge: conspiracy to commit torture
On Thursday, the Federal Prosecutor's Office for the Southern District of New York presented a 30-page superseding indictment that adds the charge of conspiracy to commit torture to the already existing ones of narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and related weapons offenses.
According to the document, both would have abused their positions for over 25 years to enrich themselves and maintain power through serious human rights violations, with methods including electric shocks, asphyxiation, sexual violence, prolonged isolation, and threats against the victims' families, including minors.
The accusation asserts that Maduro authorized torture against specific individuals, received reports on the treatment of certain victims, watched a video of a coerced confession, and personally threatened to kill the son of a prisoner "as a form of psychological torture."
Cilia Flores, former Attorney General, is said to have helped design the repressive system and ordered the torture of specific individuals.
"The epitome of corruption"
The federal prosecutor Jamie McDonald was emphatic upon leaving the courthouse: “The accusation alleges behavior that is truly unthinkable. This is the epitome of corruption.”
The new accusations add to Maduro's international judicial record, who ruled Venezuela from 2013 until his capture in January 2026, and has been under investigation by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity related to the repression of opponents.
The former president has repeatedly denied having committed any irregularities.
After the new accusation emerged, a reaction was requested from Maduro's lawyer, while Flores' legal representative indicated that he had not yet had time to review the new allegations.
The judge denies Flores' release
Maduro and Flores have been detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since their capture on January 3, 2026.
Both have pleaded not guilty to the previous charges, and their lawyers have requested the dismissal of the case on the grounds that they enjoy immunity due to their status as president and first lady of a foreign state.
This Thursday, Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein denied the request for house arrest for Cilia Flores on medical grounds, despite the defense citing heart deterioration, a loss of more than 11 kilograms, and episodes of tachycardia.
The trial of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores is scheduled for June 1, 2027, with a hearing on defense motions set for November 17, 2026.
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