The United States has released a video showing arrested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in handcuffs, staging a ‘perp walk’ as he was escorted into custody, marking a dramatic moment following his capture in a US military operation.
US releases video of captured Venezuelan President Maduro in handcuffs, stages ‘perp walk.’ (US President shared the picture)
The United States has released a video showing arrested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in handcuffs, staging a ‘perp walk’ as he was escorted into custody, marking a dramatic moment following his capture in a US military operation.
In the video, Maduro was seen wishing reporters and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents a Happy New Year and Good Night during his perp walk.
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According to media reports, Maduro has been transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in New York City, a federal jail known for its harsh conditions.
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The Metropolitan Detention Center is often described as “disgusting” with “horrifying” living conditions. Reports have highlighted chronic understaffing, inmate violence, unsanitary conditions, and recurring power outages at the facility. Built in the 1990s to address prison overcrowding, the detention centre has housed several high-profile inmates over the years.
Among those previously held at the MDC are singer R Kelly, former pharmaceutical executive Martin “Pharma Bro” Shkreli, socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, former cryptocurrency entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried and music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. Suspected cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia was also lodged at the facility while awaiting trial on murder and drug trafficking charges, according to media reports.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, arrived in New York on Saturday (local time) after being taken into custody during a large-scale US military operation in Caracas, official statements said. The aircraft carrying the couple landed at Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York just hours after their capture in Venezuela.
US authorities said the operation was conducted jointly by American military forces, intelligence agencies and federal law enforcement.
US President Donald Trump said Maduro and Flores have been indicted in the Southern District of New York on charges related to alleged “drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracies” and will face trial in the United States. He described the arrests as the outcome of a coordinated night-time mission.
Addressing a press conference in Florida, Trump claimed the operation had neutralised Venezuela’s military capabilities. “No nation in the world could achieve what America achieved yesterday,” he said, adding that US forces, working with law enforcement agencies, captured Maduro and his wife “in the dead of night.”
Trump further stated that Maduro and Flores “will soon face the full might of American justice and stand trial on American soil” for their alleged role in international drug trafficking networks. While confirming their transfer to New York, he said a decision was yet to be taken on whether the trial would be held in New York or Florida.
Calling Maduro an “illegitimate dictator,” Trump alleged that the Venezuelan leader headed a vast criminal network responsible for trafficking large quantities of illegal drugs into the United States. “Maduro and his wife will soon face the full might of American justice,” he said.
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