A stone-faced Nicolás Maduro was seen publicly for the first time since his capture, shuffling through New York City’s DEA headquarters in handcuffs — where, in a bizarre moment caught on video and photos, he casually wished agents a 'Happy New Year.'
The fallen Venezuelan strongman was dressed in black sweats and a matching cap, gripping a water bottle as agents led him through the Chelsea facility before transferring him to Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center late Saturday night.
Maduro is brought into the DEA’s New York City headquarters after his dramatic arrest in Venezuela.
The ousted dictator — wearing white socks and jail-issued flip-flops — can be heard telling nearby agents, “Good night, Happy New Year,” in footage released by the White House and labeled a “perp walk” in a post on X.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized from their home in a dramatic overnight raid by U.S. forces in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, early Saturday morning.
The pair were whisked out of the South American nation and flown to the Big Apple, arriving Saturday night to face federal narco-terrorism charges and other offenses in New York’s Southern District.
After landing in New York City, they were processed at the Drug Enforcement Administration’s headquarters before being flown by helicopter past the Statue of Liberty to a Brooklyn jail — where hundreds of revelers gathered to celebrate their capture.
A photo shared on President Donald Trump’s Truth Social account on January 3, 2026, shows John Ratcliffe, Donald Trump, and Marco Rubio watching Nicolás Maduro’s dramatic capture unfold. Donald Trump/ Truth Social
Nicolás Maduro seen aboard the USS Iwo Jima following his capture. Donald Trump/ Truth Social
A Department of Justice aircraft arrives in New York, bringing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro into custody. AP
“It’s such a joy to see the dictator fall, but the regime hasn’t fallen yet,” said Venezuelan native Ronny Chirinos, who moved from Maracay to the U.S. three years ago to escape Maduro’s rule, speaking to FaqInsurances.
“I want everything to fall. That there is no one left."
Others praised President Trump for the high-stakes military operation, while the raucous crowd outside the jail triumphantly cheered, chanting “Down with the dictator!” and “Dirty scumbag!”
Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores are expected to face federal court as early as Monday, marking the start of their high-profile legal battle.
