Ex-Venezuelan first lady asks judge to let her leave NYC jail for home confinement as lawyers say heart condition has worsened

Cilia Flores, the former first lady of Venezuela, is formally requesting a transfer from a Brooklyn federal jail to home confinement while she prepares for her upcoming trial on drug trafficking charges. Her legal team, consisting of Mark Donnelly and Andres Sanchez, filed court papers arguing that her health has significantly deteriorated since she was taken into custody. 

As reported by the NY Post, Flores, who is 69, is currently being held alongside her husband, Nicolás Maduro, following their seizure by US forces during a raid on their residence in Caracas early in January. The couple is scheduled to face trial under charges of participating in a conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States.

Her lawyers reportedly noted that she has been dealing with a mitral valve prolapse for years. Since her arrest and subsequent detention at the Metropolitan Detention Center, she has allegedly been unable to receive the monthly injections necessary to manage this specific condition. 

She has reportedly lost over 25 pounds 

Instead, the facility has reportedly provided her with a regimen of baby aspirin, a statin, diltiazem, and nitroglycerin, which she takes as needed for chest pains. Beyond her heart condition, her legal team highlighted that she has struggled with persistent reflux and gastritis. They also reported that she has lost two molars and has experienced a weight loss of more than 25 pounds since arriving in New York City.

The situation has reached a point where medical professionals have advised her to undergo cardiac catheterization. This procedure could potentially lead to further, more complex heart treatments. Her lawyers emphasized that if she undergoes these procedures, she will reportedly need adequate time to recover in an environment that is conducive to restoring her health. 

While the attorneys acknowledged that the jail staff has been respectful and that she has received excellent care from the medical professionals provided by the facility and local hospitals, they argued that a detention center simply lacks the proper conditions for the type of recovery she requires. If the judge, Alvin K. Hellerstein, grants this request, the defense has proposed a strict security plan. 

Flores would be reportedly moved to a home located within the Manhattan federal court district. Her lawyers promised that she would be placed under 24-hour-a-day armed surveillance. Furthermore, her ability to interact with the outside world would be severely limited, as she would only be allowed to receive visitors who have been explicitly approved by the court and federal prosecutors.

To ensure full compliance, the home would be monitored by video, and all of her telephone calls would be recorded. That said, this request for home confinement is just one part of the ongoing legal battle. Both Flores and Maduro have entered pleas of not guilty to the drug trafficking allegations brought against them. In a separate legal maneuver, they have petitioned the court to have their entire indictment dismissed. 

Their argument rests on the claim that they possess immunity as the leader and the first lady of a foreign country. As of now, federal prosecutors have not yet filed a formal response to the request for home confinement, and a spokesperson for the US attorney’s office in Manhattan has declined to comment on the matter. Judge Hellerstein has not yet issued a ruling on the motion.