A visibly downcast Nicolas Maduro was spotted handcuffed at the Drug Enforcement Administration headquarters in New York City for the first time following his arrest. Strangely, he greeted the agents with a “Happy New Year,” as seen in various videos and images.
The former Venezuelan leader was dressed in dark sweats, a black hat, and was clutching a water bottle while being escorted through the Chelsea facility Saturday night. He was later taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
The ousted dictator, sporting white socks and prison-issued flip-flops, was recorded saying “Goodnight and Happy New Year” to staff members, according to footage shared by the White House, labeled “The Criminal’s Walk.”
President Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were apprehended by U.S. forces early Saturday during a surprising operation in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital.
The couple was extracted from their home and arrived in New York City on Saturday night to face federal narcoterrorism charges and other allegations in the Southern District of New York.
Upon their arrival, they were processed at the DEA facility and then transported by helicopter, passing by the Statue of Liberty, to the detention center in Brooklyn, where they were greeted by a crowd celebrating their capture.
“I’m really glad to see the dictator fall, but, you know, the regime is still intact,” Ronnie Chirinos, a Venezuelan national who relocated due to the Maduro regime, shared his thoughts.
“I want everything to crumble, so that nobody is left.”
Outside the detention center, a spirited crowd cheered, chanting phrases like “down with the dictator” and “filthy bastards,” while some attendees praised Trump’s audacious military operation.
Maduro and Flores are expected to appear in federal court on Monday.
