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Judicial documents released this Tuesday reveal that Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, received a consular visit while detained in a federal prison in New York, awaiting their next hearing in a Southern District court.
The information, disseminated by news agencies based on a letter sent to Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, confirms that on January 30, 2026, both defendants were visited by an official representative of the Republic of Venezuela, in compliance with a court order issued following their first appearance.
Although the visit took place at the end of January, it was only now that it became public through the case's digital archive.
The prosecutor's letter
In the letter addressed to the court, the case prosecutor, Jay Clayton, recalled that during the charges reading hearing held on January 5, 2026, the judge ordered that consular access be guaranteed to the detainees and that formal reports be made regarding each action taken.
According to Clayton, "the Court ordered the Government to allow the accused access to consular services and to inform the Court accordingly."
In that context, it was specified that on January 30, Maduro and Flores "had a consular visit with a representative official from the Republic of Venezuela, to facilitate access to any necessary services."
The visit took place at the federal detention center in Brooklyn, where both have been held since their transfer to the United States.
The name and position of the official who visited them have not been disclosed, nor the duration of the meeting with Maduro and his wife.
Debate on the consular visit
Criminal defense attorney Robert Pelier explained to the media that consular visits "are not a guaranteed right" for all foreign prisoners in U.S. federal prisons.
"What is guaranteed is the right to have lawyers, and the legal team must have access to the detainee, to the accused, because constitutional rights grant the detainee the right to review the evidence against them, who is accusing them, and what they are being accused of," he noted.
According to the legal expert, the judge has the authority to order the detention center administrators to facilitate that type of contact, as happened in this case.
Detention and charges
Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, were captured on January 3 during a U.S. military operation in Caracas and later transferred to New York.
Two days later, they appeared for the first time before federal court.
During that initial hearing, both declared themselves innocent and referred to themselves as "prisoners of war." Maduro also insisted that he remains "the constitutional president of Venezuela."
The formal indictment, consisting of 25 pages, includes four main charges: conspiracy for narcoterrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess war weapons.
If found guilty, they could face life imprisonment.
Hearing postponed
The next hearing, initially scheduled for March 17, has been postponed to March 26 at 11:00 a.m.
The Southern District of New York's Prosecutor's Office requested the change with the defense's consent, citing the need for more time to review evidence, prepare pre-trial motions, and address logistical matters.
Judge Hellerstein granted the request "in the interest of justice."
During the January hearing, it was also revealed that Flores had a bruise on his right eye and bandages on his forehead.
The defense requested medical attention for possible rib fractures, although no additional details about his health condition were disclosed.
Defense strategy
Maduro's defense has confirmed that it will contest the legality of the detention on the grounds of sovereign immunity, a strategy that recalls the precedent of Manuel Noriega following his capture in Panama in 1990.
In that case, the U.S. courts rejected that argument, and the former Panamanian general was sentenced to 17 years in prison in the United States.
As the judicial process unfolds in New York, in Venezuela the Supreme Court allocated executive powers to Delcy Rodríguez following Maduro's capture, without formally declaring the president's absolute absence.
March 26 will mark the next key step in a case that could lead to one of the most significant trials against a former Latin American ruler in U.S. federal courts.
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