The former leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro posted two photos of himself smiling from prison in New York on Sunday, two days after United States President Donald Trump announced a “historic” deal to take control of more than 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil.
These are the first known photographs of Maduro since he was captured in a U.S. operation in January alongside his wife, Cilia Flores, and taken to a detention facility in Brooklyn.
The couple is accused of facilitating drug trafficking and firearms offenses harmful to the U.S., which they have denied. Following their capture, then-Vice President Delcy Rodríguez took over as interim president and currently has Trump’s support.
Pequeño regalo de amor y esperanzaEnvío estas fotos como un pequeño regalo a todos mis nietos y nietas, a los niños y niñas, y a toda la gente noble que nos ama. pic.twitter.com/Z6u3130arn— Nicolás Maduro (@NicolasMaduro) August 30, 2026
“A little gift of love and hope,” Maduro wrote in a post on his X account. “I am sending this as a little gift to all my grandsons and granddaughters, boys and girls, and all the noble people that love us.”
