Former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is due to appear in federal court in New York for a second hearing today.

Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were abducted by US forces on January 3. They were brought to New York from Venezuela two days later on a Navy ship and brought directly to court. The court ordered the couple to be held at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, New York.

This detention center holds prisoners awaiting trial. In the past, drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, Jeffrey Epstein's associate Ghislaine Maxwell, hip-hop mogul Sean Diddy Combs, and others have been held here pending their sentencing.

The Maduros have spent about 80 days in separate cells in the jail building. His son, Nicolas Maduro Guerra, is a member of parliament in Venezuela. Delcy Rodriguez, who was Maduro's vice president and is known as his confidant, is now the president of Venezuela. However, Maduro is in prison. He is facing charges of drug trafficking, money laundering, and corruption. His party's rule in Venezuela is forced to operate at the behest of the United States.

Even though Maduro and Celia are in the same prison, the chances of them meeting are slim. Because women and men are kept separate. And, in the case of people facing federal charges, defendants are not allowed to meet each other.

According to CNN, high-profile people like Maduro are under even greater surveillance. Their communication is limited. He is only allowed to contact his family or lawyer by phone for a maximum of 15 minutes at a time, the source said. “The lawyers say he is in good health. He says we should not be sad,” said Maduro’s son Guerra. “We are fine. They say we are fighters.” According to a report published in AFP, Maduro is still addressed as the president by prisoners in a prison in Brooklyn. According to a source close to the Venezuelan government, he reads the Bible in prison. Maduro’s son Guerra said his father was an optimistic and confident person. Earlier this month, it was reported that Maduro had lost some weight. Guerra claimed that his father may look a little thin because he exercises daily.

But conditions in federal custody are very poor. Maduro may have lost weight due to his diet. It has been criticized for its inhumane treatment of prisoners. Some lawyers and former prisoners have called it "hell on earth." Inmates have complained through their lawyers that they have to eat expired, undercooked, stale, contaminated, or rotten food. In a complaint filed in federal court in 2024, an inmate complained that there were "worms" in his beans. Before the verdict, a lawyer for music producer and entrepreneur Sean "Diddy" Combs, who was in the same prison, also complained about the food in the courthouse. He said that prisoners in this courthouse were fed expired or worm-infested food. However, federal officials have denied all these allegations. The prison is very dirty. Security is very tight. And, there have been complaints of prisoners being kept in solitary confinement for long periods of time.

At least four prisoners have committed suicide in the past three years, Combs' lawyer said in 2025. Similarly, two prisoners lost their lives in separate stabbing incidents in 2024. Nine other prisoners are facing murder and assault charges. It is not clear which cell Maduro is being held in. But it is believed he is being held in solitary confinement with special security than ordinary prisoners.

According to lawyers and prosecutors, this arrangement is made to protect both prisoners and prison staff. As a result, VVIP prisoners like Maduro have very limited contact with the outside world.

Human rights activists have expressed concern that conditions at the MDC are very poor due to a lack of staff and resources. Prisoners here do not have access to the internet or newspapers. Maduro is no exception. Last year, the Legal Aid Society issued a statement expressing concern about prison conditions. The statement mentioned violence, medical negligence and human rights violations in the prison. The prison holds 1,300 prisoners.

When Maduro first appeared in court on January 5, he said he was the president of Venezuela and that the United States had violated international law by attacking its sovereignty. He said he had been falsely accused. Judge Alvin Hellerstein, 92, will hear his case on Thursday.