⚖️ Federal Judge Alvin Hellerstein, of New York, rejected this Thursday the request for house arrest that would have allowed First Lady Cilia Flores, wife of President Nicolás Maduro, to await her trial in a private residence under GPS monitoring.

🌎 Hellerstein stated that he regards the assurances that she would not flee "with much skepticism" and considered the conditions proposed by the defense insufficient to mitigate the "extreme flight risk" attributed by the prosecution.

✈️ The judge noted that, if Flores were to escape, it is likely that Venezuela would not extradite her back to the U.S. to face the charge.

🩺 Regarding the health condition claimed by the defense, Hellerstein labeled it as "premature," since the defendant has refused to undergo certain diagnostic tests, including a cardiac catheterization.

📋 Flores, who pleaded not guilty to charges of drug trafficking, money laundering, and corruption, also faces a new charge of conspiracy to commit torture against U.S. citizens and will remain at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center awaiting trial.