Trump Releases First Photo of Captured Nicolas Maduro in Handcuffs After Caracas Attack

President Donald Trump released the first official photo of the captured Nicolas Maduro, who is now in US custody. The image posted by the POTUS on his Truth Social platform on 3 January 2026 shows the dishevelled Venezuelan leader in handcuffs and appearing to be blindfolded with soundproof headphones over his head.

Maduro was in his sweatsuit when arrested after the US carried out a risky military mission that the White House dubbed 'Operation Absolute Resolve' in Caracas, Venezuela, in the early hours of Saturday. He was captured along with his wife, Cilia Flores, Trump also confirmed.

Nicolas Maduro

Photographic Evidence of Maduro's Arrest and His Charges

The image of Maduro following his arrest was taken aboard the USS Iwo Jima, a US Navy amphibious assault ship stationed in the Caribbean. The US federal agents are transporting him to New York City, where he is expected to be indicted.

The photo also serves as photographic evidence that the deposed leader is indeed safe and being held by officials. Moreover, Maduro in cuffs is also like a declaration of 'mission accomplished' coming from the Trump administration, which also marks the end of the authoritarian leader's decade-long grip on power.

Upon arrival, Maduro and Flores will be brought to the Manhattan federal court to be formally charged with a series of serious narco-terrorism offences. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the US Department of Justice alleged that the two were heavily involved in a narco-terrorism conspiracy that had been in operation for decades.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi further said that the pair conspired with the Cartel of the Suns and foreign terrorist organisations such as the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) to use cocaine as a 'weapon' against the US. In addition, the cartel believed to be spearheaded by Maduro and his wife is responsible for trafficking large quantities of the said prohibited stimulant drug into the country.

A 30-Minute Raid on a 'Fortress'

The capture of the Venezuelan leader was carried out by an elite special forces unit, the Delta Force of the US Army, with assistance from the Navy SEALs. The attack was high-risk, but it ended quickly—and in approximately 30 minutes or less, Maduro and his wife were already arrested just as they were running into a secret vault or safe room.

In a Saturday morning interview on Fox & Friends Weekend, Trump described the home of Maduro as a 'highly guarded' building located within the presidential palace. He said that with all the security, it was more 'like a fortress' but still, the American special forces was able to breach the perimeter. The now ex-leader tried to scramble for cover by running to the high-security safe room, but he and his wife were caught as they were unable to close it on time.

'It had what they call a safety space, where it's solid steel all around,' the President revealed. 'He didn't get that space closed. He was trying to get into it, but he got bum-rushed right so fast that he didn't get into that. We were prepared.'