WASHINGTON — Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are expected to face additional criminal charges in the United States over allegations that Americans detained in Venezuela were tortured, a US official said on Wednesday. The new charges could be announced as soon as Thursday, according to the official, who was briefed on the investigation.

If filed, the new counts would expand the prosecution beyond drug trafficking and tie it directly to the treatment of Americans detained in Venezuela — an issue that long defined tensions between Washington and Caracas.

Maduro, who led Venezuela for 13 years, and Flores were captured by the US military from their home in Caracas on January 3 and brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges. Both have pleaded not guilty and are scheduled to go on trial starting June 1, 2027.

A spokesperson for the Manhattan US Attorney's office, which brought the original charges, declined to comment, and lawyers for Maduro and Flores did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The possibility of new charges was first reported by CNN on Wednesday. Details of the allegations, including the identities of the alleged torture victims, were not immediately available.

Maduro's 13-year tenure was marked by tensions with the United States. Washington accused his government of detaining Americans as leverage to extract concessions, such as relief from financial sanctions.

Among those the US classified as wrongfully detained during Maduro's rule were five oil executives arrested on graft charges. They were freed in 2022 in exchange for two of Flores' nephews, who had been convicted in the US of drug trafficking. Two former US Army Special Forces members, arrested in Venezuela in 2020 in connection with a botched raid aimed at ousting Maduro, were released in 2023 as part of another prisoner swap.

Since Maduro's capture, Venezuela has been led by his former vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, who has increased cooperation with the Trump administration.

Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, have been held in a federal jail in Brooklyn. Flores is due to appear in Manhattan federal court on Thursday to urge US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein to release her from jail before trial for health reasons. Prosecutors oppose her release. With trial scheduled for June 2027, Thursday could bring developments on two fronts: Flores' pretrial release bid and the possible announcement of the new charges. — Reuters