Cockroaches in Food, Mold in Showers... Maduro Held in Notorious Facility

Cilia Flores, Maduro's wife, also detained
Reportedly held in solitary confinement ahead of trial
"I am still the president of Venezuela," insists on innocence

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has been detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in New York. On January 5, Yonhap News TV, citing international outlets including The Independent, reported that President Maduro was arrested at his residence by U.S. special forces, underwent detention procedures at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and is scheduled to be held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, until his trial.

Exterior view of the Metropolitan Detention Center. This detention center is notorious for its poor conditions even within the United States. Photo by AP Yonhap News

The Metropolitan Detention Center is notorious even within the United States for its poor detention conditions. In the past, hip-hop artist Sean John Combs, known as Puff Daddy, who was indicted on sexual assault charges, singer R. Kelly, who served time for child sex abuse, and Ghislaine Maxwell, the former lover and accomplice of billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, have all passed through this facility. The Independent reported that "numerous inmates have testified to the 'brutal environment' inside the prison," and that "one inmate claimed that stabbing incidents occur at least two or three times a week." In fact, in 2024, there was an incident in which a detainee awaiting trial on firearms-related charges was fatally stabbed.

Controversy over the facility's conditions continues. In 2024, local U.S. media outlet NY1 released photos showing a cockroach found in a cereal container and black mold growing throughout the showers. The New York Times reported that in February 2019, during a winter power outage, heating was cut off, leaving more than 1,000 inmates trapped in what was described as a "freezing cell." President Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores, has also been detained at the same facility. According to the New York Post, President Maduro and Cilia Flores are currently being held in solitary confinement, separated from the general inmate population.

President Maduro, who was arrested at his residence by U.S. special forces, underwent detention procedures at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and is scheduled to be held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, until his trial. Reuters Yonhap News

Meanwhile, President Maduro, who was arrested by U.S. forces and extradited to the United States, appeared for the first time in a New York court on January 6, denying all charges and claiming that he had been kidnapped. At noon that day, during his arraignment at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan, Maduro stated through an interpreter, "I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a man of dignity," and pleaded not guilty to all four charges against him, including conspiracy to traffic drugs. He also asserted, "I am still the president of my country," claiming that he was kidnapped from his homeland and brought to the United States. An arraignment is a procedure in the U.S. criminal justice system in which a judge asks the defendant to enter a plea.

His wife, Cilia Flores, who appeared in court with him that day, also introduced herself as "the First Lady of Venezuela" and stated, "I am not guilty and I am completely innocent." Flores's attorney said she was injured at the time of her arrest by U.S. forces and has requested medical treatment. Barry Pollack, President Maduro's attorney, stated that he is "not requesting release at this time" and has not applied for bail, but left open the possibility of a future bail application. Pollack previously represented Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks.