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Former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife are expected to face new charges related to their alleged role in the torture of U.S. citizens, officials said Wednesday.
The Trump administration captured Maduro from Venezuela in a dramatic military operation in January, bringing the Venezuelan dictator and his wife to the United States to stand trial on narco-terrorism charges and counts related to the possession of machine guns.
As of this week, new charges are set to be brought against Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, over accusations that they authorized the torture of Americans being held in Venezuelan prisons, U.S. officials told Reuters.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Department of Justice for comment.
The charges are expected to be announced Thursday, when Flores is set to appear in Manhattan federal court for a hearing. Flores is expected to urge U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein to release her from jail before the couple’s trial in June for health reasons. She and her husband have been held in a federal jail in Brooklyn.
U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald is expected to speak after the 10:30 a.m. hearing Thursday, according to Fox News.
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Maduro’s attorney told CBS News that he has not been provided any notice that additional charges could be coming.
The couple pleaded not guilty to the drug trafficking and weapons charges they currently face after being indicted by a federal grand jury on counts stemming from an alleged scheme to import “thousands of tons” of cocaine into the U.S.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
