Maduro shares first photos from US detention

Former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has posted two photographs that appear to show him in a US detention centre, where he has been held since his January abduction. US special forces abducted Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from Caracas and flew them to the US. They are held in Brooklyn, New York, on drug trafficking and firearm possession charges, which they deny. Maduro wrote on X and Telegram that he is standing firm and that Venezuela will rise again. The photos show him in a grey tracksuit making peace signs, and he appears to have lost weight. The timestamp on the photos indicates they were taken on June 25, a day after deadly earthquakes in northern Venezuela. The AFP attempted to contact the detention centre for authentication but received no immediate response. The post came two days after interim President Delcy Rodriguez announced an oil agreement with the US. Maduro's trial is set for 1 June 2027.