
An escort carrying President Nicolas Maduro left the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, where he has been held for the past two days on drug and weapons trafficking charges.
Maduro, who is expected to appear in a New York court today, emerged from an armored vehicle that was part of the escort, wearing a brown suit, and boarded a helicopter.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured in a shocking pre-dawn raid on a compound on Saturday, during an attack on Caracas.
According to the New York Times, at least 40 people, including civilians and members of the Venezuelan military, were killed in the attack.
According to the indictment against Maduro, he led a “corrupt and illegitimate government that, for decades, has abused state power to protect and promote illegal activities, including drug trafficking.”
The arrests came after months of U.S. pressure on Maduro, which included attacks on so-called “drug trafficking ships.” Those naval strikes have killed at least 110 people and some legal experts have questioned whether they constitute war crimes.
Preparen los pochoclos y apreten las nalgas kukas ????, Maduro empieza a hablar ???? pic.twitter.com/9yfyfvx7Fu
— Anto ???????? (@antooneellap) January 5, 2026