Key facts
- Cilia Flores, wife of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, will appear in a Manhattan federal court on Thursday to seek release from jail.
- Flores' lawyers cite health reasons, including a needed cardiac procedure, as grounds for her release.
- Prosecutors oppose her release, arguing she poses an extreme flight risk and danger to the public.
- Flores and Maduro were captured on January 3 and face drug trafficking charges, with their trial set for June 1, 2027.
- US officials indicated Maduro and Flores may face new charges related to alleged torture of Americans held in Venezuela.
Cilia Flores, the wife of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, is scheduled to appear in a Manhattan federal court on Thursday to request her release from jail, citing health reasons. Her legal team aims to persuade US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein to grant bail so she can undergo a cardiac procedure and recover in a more comfortable environment, proposing she reside in a New York City area home with private security. They also stated that the Venezuelan government would cover her legal fees.
Prosecutors from the Manhattan US Attorney's Office are opposing the bail request, arguing that Flores poses an "extreme" risk of flight and danger to the public, including potential witness intimidation. They contend she has received adequate medical care at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where she and Maduro have been held since their capture on January 3.
Flores, 69, and Maduro, 63, were arrested by the US military at their Caracas home and brought to New York to face charges of abusing their positions to facilitate drug trafficking. They have pleaded not guilty, and their trial is slated for June 1, 2027. If convicted, Flores faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 40 years.
Separately, a US official informed Reuters on Wednesday that Maduro and Flores are expected to face new criminal charges related to the alleged torture of Americans detained in Venezuela, with potential announcement as early as Thursday. The surprise raid that led to their capture ended Maduro's 13-year tenure in power.