Overview
- Cazadores de Fake News, La República’s verifier, and other outlets reported that the viral image claiming to show Nicolás Maduro detained was not authentic.
- SynthID detection on a high‑resolution version indicated the picture was generated or edited with Google AI tools such as Gemini.
- Fast Check’s INVID analysis found cloning signals and wavelet inconsistencies, showing portions of the scene were composited from other images.
- The image depicted DEA patches despite CBS News reporting U.S. officials said Army Delta Force conducted the operation, a mismatch that undercut the photo’s credibility.
- Hours after the fake spread, President Donald Trump posted a different official image on Truth Social, while researchers pointed to a likely X account tied to AI art as the source of the synthetic post and its variants across platforms.