Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are expected to face new criminal charges in the United States. Prosecutors are considering charges alleging that the couple conspired to torture more than a dozen Americans detained in Venezuela.
The deposed leader and his wife are already facing charges of narcoterrorism and drug trafficking, which carry possible life sentences. Washington has previously accused the Venezuelan government of detaining U.S. citizens as leverage to extract concessions.
Maduro was captured by the U.S. military in Caracas on Jan. 3. While new charges are being weighed, Cilia Flores is seeking release from jail on health grounds. An attorney for Maduro stated that he has not been given notice that additional charges could be coming.