In a cold cell at a maximum-security prison in New York, former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has turned his time in detention into a spiritual quest.

Axar.az informs according to an article by The New York Times, Maduro has adopted a religious routine, devoting long hours to reading the Bible, the Quran and other philosophical texts.

Sources familiar with his prison conditions said he has received visits from representatives of various religious denominations, including a Catholic priest and a rabbi.

The article also notes that the former president has lost a considerable amount of weight during his time in prison. Before his capture, he followed a paleo diet inspired by the eating habits of the Stone Age.

Meanwhile, his legal troubles in the United States are mounting, with new charges of conspiracy to commit torture filed against him and his wife, Cilia Flores. These allegations come on top of previous charges related to drug trafficking and arms trafficking.

Maduro and Flores were captured during a US military operation in Caracas on January 3 and transferred to a prison in Brooklyn.

The new charges allege that the couple participated in acts intended to inflict physical and psychological suffering to suppress political opposition, silence dissent and maintain their grip on power.