Claim:A photograph circulating online in early January 2026 authentically showed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro being escorted by U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration officers while in custody. Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementOne such image appeared to show Drug Enforcement Administration officers flanking Maduro while he was in custody. The photograph showed the Venezuelan president blindfolded, handcuffed and wearing a gray sweatsuit. The clip's caption stated that a U.S. government helicopter brought the Venezuelan president to Manhattan, New York, and that heavily armed officers escorted him ahead of his court appearance. 'Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Board the USS Iwo Jima On...' Getty Images, 3 Jan. 2026, https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/venezuelan-president-nicolas-maduro-on-board-the-uss-iwo-news-photo/2253875352.

Source: ABC News January 06, 2026 20:44 UTC