Nicolás Maduro appeared in a New York federal court on Thursday to face a rewritten indictment that accuses him and his wife Cilia Flores of leading a state-sponsored campaign of torture. Maduro, who was brought to court in ankle shackles, denied the allegations. "These are false accusations," he said during the appearance.
The rewritten indictment expands charges against the deposed Venezuelan president and Flores beyond drug trafficking to include allegations of systematic torture. The charges name scores of alleged victims, including three Americans, according to The Guardian.
Maduro has been detained in the United States pending trial. The expansion of the indictment represents a significant escalation in the federal case against him, moving from narcotics-related charges to accusations of crimes against humanity linked to state repression in Venezuela.
The case reflects longstanding US allegations of human rights abuses under Maduro's rule in Venezuela. Maduro was removed from power in 2023, though he has disputed the legitimacy of that transition.