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16h ago

Maduro Held at Brooklyn’s MDC After U.S. Capture and Federal Indictment

He awaits a Manhattan court appearance in a jail the Bureau of Prisons insists is now safe despite its troubled record.

Federal law enforcement personnel stand watch outside the Metropolitan Detention Center as they await the arrival of captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
A Venezuelan immigrant critical of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro celebrates while wearing the country's flag outside the Metropolitan Detention Center, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Demonstrators celebrate the arrival of captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro at the Metropolitan Detention Center, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
New York Police officers gather outside the Metropolitan Detention Center shortly after the arrival of captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Overview

  • Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was transported to New York and booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn on Saturday night, drawing cheering Venezuelan expatriates outside the facility.
  • U.S. prosecutors have charged Maduro with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and weapons offenses related to drug trafficking.
  • MDC Brooklyn houses about 1,300 people awaiting federal trials in Manhattan and Brooklyn and has previously held several high-profile inmates.
  • The jail has a history of violence and poor conditions, including two inmate killings in 2024, though federal officials report added staff, extensive repairs, and a smaller population.
  • Current detainees include Sinaloa co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García and accused killer Luigi Mangione, and co-defendant Hugo Carvajal is also held at the facility.