(New York, January 4, 2026) – Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn, where he will be held pending trial, local media reported Sunday.
Maduro’s transfer to U.S. custody marks a important escalation in international legal efforts targeting the Venezuelan leader.
- Nicolás Maduro was transported to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn after being processed at a DEA facility.
- The transfer followed the release of a video appearing to show his arrest, published by an official White House rapid response account.
- Local media reported a police escort accompanied Maduro from a Manhattan heliport to the detention center.
The helicopter carrying Maduro took off from a heliport in Manhattan en route to the detention center after he was processed at a federal facility affiliated with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), according to reports from The New York times and CNN.
Television news broadcasts showed a caravan of police vehicles escorting Maduro from the heliport to the prison facilities, the reports said.
The official White House rapid response account, “Rapid Response 47,” published a video Saturday that appeared to depict Maduro’s arrest and transfer. The account stated, “Arrested and escorted,” alongside the video.
Perp walked.pic.twitter.com/34iIsFUDdG
– Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 4, 2026
Maduro’s arrest stems from years of allegations of drug trafficking and corruption. The U.S. government has long accused Maduro and members of his inner circle of facilitating the shipment of tons of cocaine to the United States. The DEA has been building a case against Maduro for several years,gathering evidence through informants and intercepted communications. The specific charges, revealed in a sealed indictment unsealed Sunday, include narco-terrorism, international drug trafficking, and money laundering. The U.S. justice department alleges Maduro was a key figure in the “Cartel of the Suns,” a network of Venezuelan military officials involved in the drug trade.
The arrest was authorized by Attorney General Merrick Garland and carried out with the cooperation of multiple federal agencies. The operation involved a covert operation to bring Maduro to the United States, reportedly involving a private jet and assurances of safe passage. Sources indicate that Maduro was lured to the U.S. under the guise of attending a diplomatic meeting.His legal team, led by prominent defense attorney Maria elena Rodriguez, has already issued a statement calling the arrest “politically motivated” and a violation of international law.
The trial, expected to begin in the spring of 2026, is anticipated to be lengthy and complex. The prosecution will rely heavily on witness testimony from former Maduro associates who have defected and provided details to U.S. authorities. The defense is expected to challenge the jurisdiction of the U.S. court and the admissibility of evidence obtained through perhaps questionable means
