Newly released photographs show former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro inside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, marking the first public images of him since U.S. forces captured him during a military operation in Caracas in January.
Maduro, who faces drug trafficking charges in the United States, has been held at the federal facility in Kings County for eight months. The photos, posted Sunday to his social media accounts, show him wearing a gray sweatsuit and white sneakers, standing against a plain wall, appearing thinner than in past public appearances and smiling while holding up peace signs.
Timestamps on the two images indicate they were actually taken June 25 — one day after two major earthquakes struck northern Venezuela near Caracas that killed more than 6,500 people, according to The Associated Press.
A message for family and supporters
Maduro framed the release of the photos as a gesture of reassurance to relatives and supporters. “We will remain strong, serene, and confident” and “Venezuela will be reborn,” he wrote in the message accompanying the images.
“I send these photos as a small gift to all my grandsons and granddaughters, to the boys and girls, and to all the noble people who love us,” Maduro said. “I want you to know that we stand firm, with our hearts full of your love, that love that reaches us transformed into prayer, into constant action, into solidarity and true support. Infinite thanks for every word, for every gesture, for every blessing.”
He added: “Enjoy this small gift with joy and hope. Cilia and I embrace you forever, with our souls devoted to you and with our faith in God intact.” Maduro was referring to his wife, Cilia Flores, who was also transported to New York and faces related drug trafficking charges.
Timing tied to oil deal
The photographs surfaced two days after President Donald Trump announced a major agreement under which Venezuela would give the United States majority control over 65 billion barrels of oil from the country’s reserves. Trump has promoted the arrangement as a significant boost for American energy access and the economy at a time when the ongoing war with Iran is putting pressure on energy prices.
Life behind bars
Maduro’s detention traces back to the January U.S. military operation in Caracas that led to his capture and transfer to the United States. His son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, told El País in May that the former Venezuelan leader has spent much of his time in custody reading the Bible and exchanging books. According to that report, Maduro is allotted 510 minutes per month — about 8.5 hours — for conversations with people outside the prison.
Maduro and Flores are scheduled to stand trial in New York in June 2027. Both have pleaded not guilty and face potential life sentences if convicted of conspiring to send cocaine into the United States. Until then, Maduro is expected to remain in federal custody in Brooklyn while his case moves through the courts.
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