GUIDE
Where is Cilia Flores being held? House-arrest request, health and court dates
Summary as of September 24, 2026. In short: Cilia Flores is still in jail. She asked to wait for trial under house arrest, prosecutors objected, and the judge has not ruled.
Where she is
Cilia Flores, 69, has been in U.S. federal custody since January 3, 2026, when she was captured together with Nicolás Maduro. She is held at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, New York. She is a co-defendant in Maduro’s case in the Southern District of New York, before Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, and pleaded not guilty on January 5, 2026.
The charges
They include narco-terrorism conspiracy and conspiracy to import cocaine. According to prosecutors, a conviction would carry a mandatory minimum of 40 years and up to life in prison.
The house-arrest request
In early September 2026 her lawyers asked that she await trial under home confinement in New York, on health grounds. According to her defense, she has a heart condition that is not being properly treated, has lost more than 24 pounds (about 11 kg), had an episode of severe chest pressure in July, sleeps three to four hours a night, and shares space with more than 40 other detainees. In exchange they offered strict conditions: 24-hour armed guards, electronic monitoring, recorded calls and court-approved visitors only. The judge ordered her medical records sealed.
Why prosecutors oppose it
On September 24, 2026 prosecutors filed their opposition. They call her an “extreme flight risk” and a “danger to the community,” argue that people around her could intimidate witnesses and victims in Venezuela, and point to the 40-year minimum sentence as an incentive to flee.
A note on headlines: several outlets wrote that the U.S. “rejected” house arrest. What happened is that prosecutors objected. The judge decides, and has not yet done so.
What comes next
- September 30, 2026: deadline for the defense to reply.
- October 8, 2026: hearing on the house-arrest request. The judge may rule that day or later.
- November 17, 2026: hearing in the joint case with Maduro.
- June 1, 2027: scheduled start of trial.
Timeline
- Prosecutors file their opposition to house arrest: “extreme flight risk” and “danger to the community.” El Diario NY (Spanish)
- Schedule set: defense reply due September 30, hearing October 8. Diario Las Américas (Spanish)
- Judge Hellerstein orders her medical records sealed. The Rio Times
- Her lawyers request house arrest, citing a heart condition. Reuters via U.S. News
- The court sets the joint trial with Maduro for June 1, 2027. Wikipedia (case summary)
- Arraigned in New York; pleads not guilty. Wikipedia (case summary)
- Captured together with Nicolás Maduro and flown to New York. Wikipedia (case summary)
Nicolás Maduro
Maduro’s own status, court dates and timeline are on his page:
You can write to her
Yes. While she is at MDC Brooklyn, incoming mail is accepted if it follows the facility format: full legal name, federal register number, plain white paper, nothing attached. All mail is opened and read before delivery.
Sources
- Reuters via U.S. News · Cilia Flores seeks release from jail, citing heart ailment (Sep 10, 2026)
- The Rio Times · No ruling yet on the house-arrest request (Sep 12, 2026)
- Diario Las Américas · Court to decide from October 8 (Sep 17, 2026, Spanish)
- El Diario NY · Prosecutors oppose release, citing “extreme flight risk” (Sep 24, 2026, Spanish)
- BOP · Official inmate locator
Common questions
- Is Cilia Flores in jail or under house arrest?
- In jail. As of September 24, 2026 she remains at MDC Brooklyn. She has asked for house arrest, but the judge has not ruled; the hearing is October 8, 2026.
- Why do prosecutors oppose her house arrest?
- They call her an “extreme flight risk” and a “danger to the community,” say people around her could intimidate witnesses in Venezuela, and cite the 40-year minimum sentence as an incentive to flee.
- What does her defense say about her health?
- According to her defense: a heart condition without adequate care, more than 24 pounds of weight loss, a chest-pressure episode in July and severe sleep loss. Her medical records are sealed.
- Can you write to Cilia Flores?
- Yes, while she is in a federal facility. The letter needs her full legal name and register number, on plain white paper, with nothing attached.
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