US prosecutors have charged former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with conspiring to torture political opponents and American citizens. The superseding indictment was filed in a Manhattan federal court on Thursday.Maduro, 63, and his wife Cilia Flores, 69, were captured in their Caracas home in January during a US military operation. They were flown to New York to face earlier drug charges, to which they have pleaded not guilty.The new indictment says Maduro oversaw a system that used torture, arbitrary detention and violence to repress the opposition.

It details alleged abuse of nine people, including three US citizens. Prosecutors say he approved torture methods and received updates on specific victims.Flores, a former attorney general, is accused of helping build the repressive system. Both would face a mandatory minimum of 50 years in prison if convicted of all charges.Maduro’s lawyer Barry Pollack said his client denies the charges and looks forward to his day in court.

The judge denied Flores’ request for release ahead of a trial scheduled for next year.