Trump posts image of Maduro aboard U.S. warship, claims Venezuelan leader en route to New York

U.S. President Donald Trump released a photo he says shows detained Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro aboard a U.S. warship en route to New York.

U.S. President Donald Trump has released an image he says shows Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro aboard a U.S. Navy warship, claiming the detained leader is being transferred to New York.

The photograph, posted on Trump’s Truth Social account, appears to show Maduro wearing a grey tracksuit, holding a water bottle, with a dark band covering his eyes as he walks on the deck of the USS Iwo Jima.

Trump said the image was taken during Maduro’s transfer following what he described as a “successful and targeted” U.S. military operation inside Venezuela. Until the photo’s release, Maduro’s whereabouts had remained unclear and Washington’s detention claims unverified by independent sources.

Earlier on Saturday, Trump announced that U.S. forces had arrested Maduro and his wife during military strikes on Venezuelan territory, saying the operation involved U.S. law enforcement and military agencies.

The announcement followed reports of explosions in Caracas and heightened security around key government sites, intensifying uncertainty over Venezuela’s political leadership and internal stability.

The United States has long accused Maduro of running a “narco-state” and undermining democracy, with U.S. courts previously indicting him on drug trafficking charges that Caracas rejects as politically motivated.

Maduro, in power since 2013 after Hugo Chávez’s death, has consistently accused Washington of seeking regime change to gain control over Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, the largest proven reserves in the world.

In response to Trump’s claims, Venezuela’s government said the U.S. attacks were a “clear act of aggression,” alleging they were premeditated and aimed at overthrowing the current government and installing a proxy administration.

As international reactions mount and details remain disputed, the image has become a powerful symbol in an escalating confrontation, raising fears of further instability and a broader diplomatic crisis over Venezuela’s future.

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