Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Seen in Public for the First Time After U.S. Capture

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has reportedly been seen in public for the first time following claims that U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a military operation in Venezuela.

Photos circulating online show Maduro walking in handcuffs while being escorted by law enforcement officers. In the images, he appears calm as he is led through the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) office in Manhattan.

According to reports, U.S. Army Delta Force soldiers carried out a late-night operation at Maduro’s compound in Caracas on Friday. During the operation, Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were reportedly taken into custody on drug trafficking-related charges and prepared for extradition.

The reports state that the couple were transported by helicopter and arrived in Manhattan on Saturday evening. Their journey allegedly included brief stops at airfields in upstate New York and Puerto Rico.

Maduro and his wife are now said to be held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, a facility known for its poor conditions. The detention center has previously housed high-profile inmates, including Luigi Mangione and music executive Sean “Diddy” Combs.