Venezuelan Leader Arrives in US Custody in Handcuffs : Video
New footage emerged on Saturday showing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in U.S. custody, as he was escorted in handcuffs by officials after disembarking from a helicopter at Stewart Airport in New York.
The video, released by the White House’s official Rapid Response account, depicts Maduro wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and walking through a hallway marked “DEA NYD” at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) headquarters in Manhattan. As agents guided him for processing, including fingerprinting, Maduro attempted to speak in English, saying “Good night” before switching to Spanish with “Es buenas noches, no?” He then repeated “good night” and added “Happy New Year” to those in the room, according to CNN.
Maduro and his wife, First Lady Cilia Flores, were detained earlier that day during a U.S. operation in Venezuela and transferred to New York. U.S. President Donald Trump had previously posted an image of Maduro handcuffed and blindfolded aboard the USS Iwo Jima.
According to reports, a motorcade thought to include Maduro departed the DEA facility on Manhattan’s West Side Highway, briefly traveled north, and returned to a heliport, as noted by BBC. The couple was then flown by helicopter along the Hudson River, passing the Statue of Liberty, before being moved in a law enforcement convoy to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
U.S. authorities stated that Maduro was apprehended in Caracas and initially transported to the USS Iwo Jima in the Caribbean, then to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, and finally to Stewart Air Force Base before reaching New York City—a journey spanning approximately 2,100 miles.
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U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that Maduro and Flores face indictment in the Southern District of New York on charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and related conspiracies. Booking procedures, involving fingerprints, biometrics, mugshots, and medical checks, have commenced, with entry into the U.S. Customs and Border Protection system. A court appearance is anticipated as early as Monday.