New york: The wife of captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro has petitioned a US federal court in New York for pretrial release on bail, citing worsening heart problems while detained at a federal facility in Brooklyn. Cilia Adela Flores de Maduro, 69, is seeking bail to allow her adequate time to recover from any procedures in a setting conducive to restoring her health, as her defense attorneys argued that the detention center cannot provide adequate post-operative care.
According to Anadolu Agency, US forces captured Flores alongside her husband during a January 3 military operation in Caracas, transporting both to New York to face federal cocaine importation and firearms charges, which they deny. US law generally favors pretrial detention for defendants facing major narcotics charges. However, Flores' lawyers argue that she should be released due to her family ties, status as an elected Venezuelan lawmaker, and her medical condition.
Flores previously managed a mitral valve prolapse with monthly injections, which ceased after her incarceration. She currently takes four medications, including a statin and beta-blocker, keeps nitroglycerin on hand, and has lost over 11.3 kilograms (25 pounds). Recent medical tests have shown severe abnormal heart rhythms and signs of reduced blood flow to the heart, increasing the risk of sudden death, according to her lawyers.
Medical staff at the Brooklyn detention center recommended cardiac catheterization after a stress test was halted in April. Defense medical experts also noted a severe 30-minute episode of chest pain on July 29, indicating that she may have suffered a minor heart attack. The defense has proposed home detention in New York with 24-hour armed monitoring by a private security firm, continuous GPS tracking, and consensual monitoring of her phone calls.
US District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein granted a motion to seal her detailed medical records on privacy grounds while keeping legal filings public. Prosecutors oppose her release request, and a US judge has scheduled the trial to begin on June 1, 2027.