Maduro's wife seeks house arrest in US drug case

Cilia Flores, the wife of Venezuela's deposed leader Nicolas Maduro, has asked to be released from detention in New York and placed under house arrest, citing serious heart problems.

Her attorney, Mark Donnelly, said in a document dated September 9 that Flores, 69, needs a coronary angiogram or possible surgery and that her detention conditions do not allow proper medical care. The request proposes restrictive conditions in the United States, including 24-hour armed surveillance, an electronic ankle monitor and confiscation of her passport.

Flores and Maduro, 63, are being held in a federal jail in Brooklyn while awaiting trial. US authorities accuse them of helping smuggle tons of cocaine into the United States. Both deny the charges.

Maduro has claimed in court that he is a "prisoner of war" of the United States. The pair were seized by US forces during a raid in Caracas and have been detained since January 3.