Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro Says ‘Happy New Year’ to U.S. Agents in New Video Upon Arrival at N.Y. Air Force Base Following His Capture

On Saturday, Jan. 3, Maduro, 63, landed at New York’s Stewart Air National Guard Base having been accused of drug-related crimes. The White House’s official Rapid Response X account shared footage of his apparent perp walk, showing the moment Maduro was escorted by federal agents at the US Drug Enforcement Administration offices in New York.

Maduro is seen wearing handcuffs in the clip as he walks down a hallway surrounded by New York DEA officers. Addressing onlookers, he appears to say “Good night” and “Happy New Year.”

The president of Venezuela is being held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center until he faces charges in Manhattan federal court next week, per the BBC.

Maduro’s arrival in the U.S. comes after President Donald Trump confirmed the capture of the controversial leader and his wife, Cilia Flores. Trump also confirmed “large-scale strikes” in Venezuela in a statement on Truth Social.

Trump, 79, has accused the Venezuelan president of drug trafficking and “forcing” migration to the U.S., as well as using oil money to fund his alleged drug-related crimes.

Trump ordered airstrikes on various Venezuelan sites, including the main military base, Fuerte Tiuna, the main airbase, La Carlota, El Volcán, a signal antenna site, and La Guaira Port, a seaport on the coast of the Caribbean, CBS News and the BBC reported, citing officials.

The Venezuelan government denounced the attacks in a statement, accusing the U.S. of trying to “seize Venezuela’s strategic resources, particularly its oil and minerals” and “forcibly break the nation’s political independence,” per the BBC. All national defense plans are to be implemented in the country after the strikes, the outlet reported.

Following Maduro’s capture, Trump shared an unverified image of the Venezuelan President on Truth Social wearing large blacked-out glasses and headphones to limit his vision and hearing as he was transported to New York.

“Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima,” Trump captioned the image.