[The defense team of the Venezuelan president and his wife applies for the temporary release of the first lady] September 12th, Venezuela’s ruling party, the United Socialist Party, announced on social media on the 11th that the defense team of President Maduro and his wife, who is imprisoned in the United States, applied for the temporary release of the first lady Celia Flores on health grounds. According to the announcement, the defense team submitted an application to a court in New York, requesting approval of the first lady's temporary release based on her "critical medical condition," constitutional principles and safety guarantees. The announcement stated that Flores was experiencing "severe deterioration in his heart and physical health," with symptoms including severe arrhythmias, tachycardia, and attacks consistent with coronary ischemia. The Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where Flores is currently being held, "lacks the environmental conditions and clinical support needed to address his medical condition." The defense team also provided multiple assurances to the U.S. Justice Department. In the early morning of January 3, 2026, the US military raided Venezuela, forcibly controlled Maduro and his wife and brought them to the United States. Maduro was charged with "narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine smuggling conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the United States." It is reported that electronic court records show that on the 2nd of this month, the defense team requested that the criminal prosecution against Maduro be dropped on the grounds that he should enjoy immunity as a sovereign head of state. (CCTV News)