Maduro Detained in Same Facility as Diddy; What He Said While Being Escorted

In Video Before Detention, Says "Good Night"

Former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was swiftly apprehended by U.S. special forces and extradited to New York, has been detained at a local detention center. As he was being escorted, he appeared composed, even greeting those around him with, "Good night."

On January 3 (local time), the White House’s "Emergency Response 47" account on X (formerly Twitter) released a 12-second video titled "The Criminal Walked." In the footage, believed to have been filmed at the New York branch of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), President Maduro is seen wearing a black hoodie and handcuffed.

Donald Trump, President of the United States, publicly shared an image on social media showing President Nicolas Maduro being escorted (left). Truth Social capture / President Maduro being transported upon arrival at the New York branch of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). X capture

The hallway floor of the building where Maduro was walking was covered with a carpet marked "DEA NYD," signifying the New York Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration.

He addressed the two DEA agents holding his arms in Spanish, saying, "Good night, right?" and then switched to English, greeting them with, "Good night, Happy New Year."

According to CNN and The New York Times, a police officer on guard duty at the detention center announced through a loudspeaker to about 100 protesters gathered outside that "Maduro has entered the detention facility." In response, the crowd cheered and waved Venezuelan flags.

President Maduro is expected to be held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York. This facility has previously housed several high-profile inmates, including Sean "Diddy" Combs (54), who was convicted on prostitution-related charges, and Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro being transported upon arrival at the New York office of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Photo captured from X.

Maduro, who was indicted on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering in March 2020 during the first Trump administration, is expected to appear in federal court in Manhattan next week.

At the time, the U.S. Department of Justice released a superseding indictment. The new indictment added his wife, son, Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, and other family members and associates as defendants.

The U.S. government asserts that they collaborated with the former Colombian rebel group FARC, designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, and with drug cartels to smuggle thousands of tons of cocaine into the United States.