(In paragraph 17, corrects quote attribution to defense lawyer Mark Donnelly, not US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein)

By Luc Cohen

NEW YORK, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores both were hit with an additional US criminal charge on Thursday stemming from accusations ‌they tortured political opponents and American citizens to retain their grip on power in the South American country.

Separately, US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who is overseeing ‌the case, denied a request by Flores to be released from jail ahead of trial due to health reasons.

Maduro and Flores were charged with an additional count of conspiracy to commit torture in addition ​to the drug trafficking charges they previously faced, according to a superseding indictment filed in Manhattan federal court. Maduro and Flores would face a mandatory-minimum 50 years in ...