Cilia Flores, Venezuela's former first lady and wife of ex-President Nicolás Maduro, has requested to be released from jail pending her trial on U.S. drug trafficking charges, citing a heart condition that has reportedly worsened since her incarceration. Her legal team filed court papers on Wednesday asking a judge to permit her to await trial in home confinement within the Manhattan federal court district.
Flores' lawyers, Mark Donnelly and Andres Sanchez, stated that she has a history of mitral valve prolapse and has not received a necessary monthly injection for the condition since her arrest. They reported that she has been prescribed medications for chest pains and has experienced other health issues, including significant weight loss. Doctors have advised her to undergo cardiac catheterization, which could necessitate further heart procedures and require a period of recovery conducive to restoring her health.
The lawyers argued that a detention center lacks the appropriate conditions for such recovery, even though they acknowledged that jail staff have been respectful and she has received excellent care from medical professionals. They proposed 24-hour armed surveillance, court-approved visitors, and monitored communications if she is allowed home confinement.
Flores, 69, and Maduro, 63, were apprehended in Caracas in early January and brought to New York City. Both have pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiring to send cocaine into the United States. In a separate court filing, they have sought to have their indictment dismissed, asserting immunity as former leader and first lady of a foreign country.
Federal prosecutors have not yet filed a response to the home confinement request, and a spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan declined to comment. The judge overseeing the case, Alvin K. Hellerstein, has not yet ruled on Flores' request.