Ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro released his first photographs from U.S. custody on Sunday, showing him inside the Brooklyn detention facility where he has been held since his capture eight months ago.
The images, posted to Maduro’s social media accounts, show him in a gray tracksuit making peace signs with both hands. He appeared visibly thinner than before his January capture.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized during a U.S. military operation in Caracas and later flown to New York, where both are held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn on drug trafficking and firearms charges, which they deny.
Message to supporters
Accompanying the photos, Maduro wrote that he was sending them as a gift to his grandchildren and to supporters, adding that he and his wife remained resolute. He closed with a message invoking his religious faith and expressing confidence in Venezuela’s future.
Timing questioned
Although the photographs surfaced Sunday, embedded camera data indicates they were taken on June 25 — one day after twin earthquakes killed more than 6,500 people in northern Venezuela. The delayed release also comes just two days after Venezuela’s interim government, now led by Maduro’s former vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, announced an agreement granting the United States a major stake in the country’s oil reserves.
News organizations said they could not independently verify the authenticity of the images or confirm whether their release had been authorized by detention authorities.
Legal proceedings continue
Maduro pleaded not guilty in January to narco-terrorism related charges, describing his capture as a politically motivated act. His trial is scheduled to begin in June 2027, with separate proceedings expected to address questions about his legal status and any immunity claims tied to his former position as head of state.
