The Daily Journal. — The U.S. Department of Justice formally opposed a bail request from attorneys representing Cilia Flores, wife of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, citing an “extreme” flight risk and describing her as a “danger to the public,” according to court filings submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Federal prosecutors urged the judge overseeing the case to deny the defense’s motion for pretrial release, EFE reported.
In their filing, prosecutors argued that no bail amount or set of conditions could guarantee Flores’ appearance in court, citing her substantial financial resources, international networks of influence, and the seriousness of the federal charges against her.
Prosecutors also warned that individuals within her network could still intimidate or use violence against potential witnesses in Venezuela and abroad through state structures and irregular armed groups.
Earlier this month, attorneys representing Flores, 69, requested permission for her to move to a private residence in the New York area under house arrest, with round-the-clock armed security, electronic ankle monitoring, restrictions on visitors, and monitored telephone communications.
The defense based its request on Flores’ need for medical treatment for complex heart conditions, arguing that the federal metropolitan detention facility where she has remained in custody since U.S. troops captured her on January 3 lacks the necessary medical resources to monitor her health.
Federal Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein of the Southern District of New York scheduled a hearing for October 8 to review Flores’ bail request.
Flores and Maduro’s trial is scheduled to begin on June 1, 2027. Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York have charged them with conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States and offenses involving military-grade weapons, machine guns, and destructive devices as part of an alleged drug trafficking and corruption scheme spanning the past two decades.
If a jury convicts Flores, she faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 40 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
With information from EFE
