White House Releases Video of Handcuffed Maduro Escorted by DEA in New York
Captured Maduro says Happy New Year in video.
A striking video released by the White House on Saturday, January 4, 2026, shows ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, aged 63 and dressed in a black hooded sweatshirt with his hands cuffed, being calmly escorted by DEA agents through the agency's New York headquarters in lower Manhattan, where he surprisingly greeted officials with phrases like "good night" and "Happy New Year."
Maduro and his wife, former Attorney General Cilia Flores, were dramatically apprehended during a high-precision pre-dawn raid dubbed Operation Absolute Resolve at their heavily fortified residence within Caracas' Fuerte Tiuna military compound, an elite U.S. special forces assault involving Delta Force operators that concluded in roughly 30 minutes without any American losses.
The meticulously orchestrated mission relied on months of exhaustive U.S. intelligence surveillance tracking Maduro's every detail—from his movements, diet, and wardrobe to his pets—culminating in repeated rehearsals using an exact replica of his home, a live feed of which President Donald Trump personally monitored, later likening the experience to watching an intense television program.
Also Read: US Institute of Peace Renamed After Trump Ahead of DRC-Rwanda Accord
After initially landing on U.S. soil and being held at a secure military base, Maduro was processed at the DEA facility before transfer to Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center—the same federal jail that housed rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs during his recent trial—where he now faces grave indictments including narco-terrorism conspiracy, massive cocaine importation, and possession of prohibited weapons.
This unprecedented U.S. intervention stems from prolonged allegations of Maduro's regime orchestrating drug cartels, rigging elections in 2018 and 2024, fueling illegal migration, and controlling the world's largest oil reserves, prompting Trump to declare American administrative oversight of Venezuela while appointing cabinet members to manage its affairs and resources.
Also Read: Trump Claims Cuban Forces Killed in U.S. Raid That Captured Venezuela’s Maduro
