Cilia Flores suffered “serious injuries” during the capture, her lawyer accuses / In the courtroom, Maduro's wife had a bandage on her left temple
Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are seen in handcuffs after landing at a Manhattan helipad, escorted by federal agents, as they walk to an armored car to be taken to a federal court in Manhattan on January 5, 2026 in New York City, US. PHOTO: XNY/STAR MAX/IPx / AP / Profimedia
Cilia Flores, the wife of Nicolas Maduro, suffered “serious injuries” this weekend when she was captured in Venezuela during a US military operation, her lawyer told the federal judge handling her criminal case on Monday, CNN reports.
Defense attorney Mark Donnelly told U.S. Federal Judge Alvin Hellerstein that his client suffered “serious injuries during the abduction” over the weekend and suggested she may have broken or severely bruised ribs and needs a medical evaluation.
The defense attorney's remarks came shortly after Cilia Flores and her husband, ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in a US military raid, pleaded not guilty to federal charges in New York court on Monday afternoon.
CNN reporters present at the court noticed bandages on Flores' head during the trial, notes the American television station.
And The New York Times reports that in court Cilia Flores wore a bandage near her left temple and had what appeared to be bruises near her right eye. When she stood up to make her plea, Maduro's wife appeared to need the support of a federal sheriff to keep herself on her feet.
Nicolas Maduro appeared for about 30 minutes on Monday before a judge in New York who presented him with the charges for which he is being tried in the US. He is charged with narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of automatic weapons and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess automatic weapons and destructive devices. The Venezuelan president and his wife have pleaded “not guilty”.
The two remain in custody.
