Venezuela’s Maduro shares first photos from US detention

What the report says

Former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro posted two photos on social media that appear to show him in a US detention facility, according to Al Jazeera, marking the first images he has shared publicly since his January abduction. The posts were published on Sunday, August 31, 2026, on X and Telegram, and Al Jazeera said the pictures show Maduro in a grey tracksuit making peace signs.

Al Jazeera reported that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken from Caracas by US special forces and are being held in Brooklyn, New York, on drug trafficking and firearm possession charges, which they deny. The article said the images suggest he has lost significant weight since his capture. It also noted that AFP was not immediately able to verify the photos with the detention centre.

In the message accompanying the pictures, Maduro said he was sending them as a gift to his grandchildren and supporters and said he remained strong and confident. The outlet also placed the post in a wider political context, coming two days after interim President Delcy Rodriguez announced a “historic” oil agreement that would allow the US to operate oil fields in Venezuela. Separately, a federal court in New York has set Maduro and Flores’s trial for June 1, 2027.