Ex-Venezuelan first lady Cilia Flores seeks release from jail, citing heart ailment

The wife of Venezuela's former leader, Cilia Flores, has requested to be released from her detention in New York and placed under house arrest due to her heart problems, according to her attorney Mark Donnelly. In a document dated Wednesday, Donnelly highlighted that 69-year-old Flores, who was in good health prior to her capture by US forces in January, now suffers from serious heart issues that necessitate a coronary angiogram or surgery.

The lawyer argued that Flores' current living conditions in Brooklyn's federal jail are inadequate to provide her with the necessary medical care. He is seeking her placement under house arrest in the US, subject to stringent conditions such as 24-hour armed surveillance, an electronic ankle bracelet monitor, and the confiscation of her passport.

Maduro, 63, and Flores were detained in a raid in Caracas on January 3 and are accused of aiding in the smuggling of large quantities of cocaine into the US. Both deny the charges, with Maduro claiming in court that he is a prisoner of war of the United States.