Former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores have been accused in New York state of conspiracy to torture, tied to allegations that they tortured political opponents to hold onto power.
The charge was unsealed Thursday in federal court in Manhattan, adding a count of conspiracy to torture to the drug trafficking charges the couple already faced.
Maduro and Flores have pleaded not guilty to the drug charges and have been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since their arrest. Trial is scheduled for June 1.
The new accusations add to the ongoing criminal case against Maduro and Flores. A superseding indictment alleges Maduro worked with gang groups to ship cocaine through Venezuela to the United States.
This is a developing story…
