Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro has become the subject of widespread mockery online after his arrival in New York following his capture by US forces. The 63-year-old was arrested in a pre-dawn raid on his Caracas home and flown more than 2,000 miles to the United States. However, it was not the serious charges he faces that drew the most attention, but his bizarre choice of words and questionable outfit.
In a video shared by the White House Rapid Response account on X, Maduro is seen being escorted through what is believed to be DEA headquarters in Manhattan. Looking dazed and handcuffed, he is heard saying: “Good night. Happy New Year.” The comment prompted a flurry of jokes on social media, with one user quipping: “Poor guy has jet lag – thinks it’s still New Year!” Another remarked on the carpet in the footage: “They really rolled out the blue carpet.” A third added: “For a second I thought he was wearing Mickey Mouse ears.”
Others focused on Maduro’s multiple outfit changes during his journey from Venezuela to the US. One person wrote: “He sure changes his clothes a lot. Weird.” Another commented: “Socks and slides? Oof.” A third asked: “How many outfits was Maduro allowed to bring?” The disgraced leader landed at a US military base on Saturday under heavy guard before being transferred to a Brooklyn detention centre, the same facility that once held rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and crypto fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried.
Maduro is due to appear in a US court in the coming days to face charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices. His wife and four others face similar charges. The charges were unveiled by US Attorney General Pam Bondi in documents posted online.
