Venezuelan Leader in US Detention Center Shares Photos as US Signs Historic Oil Deal

Nicolás Maduro shares photos from inside a US detention center.. Source: Al Jazeera

Former Venezuelan leader in US detention Nicolás Maduro has shared a series of photographs online from inside an American facility, declaring that he is standing firm months after his capture by US military forces. 

In a post published on social platform X, the ousted politician called the images a small gift for his family and supporters while expressing deep gratitude for their ongoing prayers. 

In the photos, Maduro is seen smiling, wearing a grey tracksuit with white running shoes, and flashing peace signs. Camera metadata attached to the files indicates they were taken on June 25, just one day after northern Venezuela suffered two devastating earthquakes that claimed over 6,500 lives.

Nicolás Maduro shares photos from inside a US detention center.. Source: Al Jazeera

The unexpected emergence of the images comes as a former Venezuelan leader in US detention awaits a high-profile federal trial set for June 2027 in New York, where he and his wife Cilia Flores face charges related to drug trafficking and firearms offences—allegations both strongly deny. 

Operating under strict communications limits in Brooklyn, Maduro is granted roughly 500 phone minutes monthly with family and legal counsel, spending much of his time studying the Bible. 

Meanwhile, his successor, interim President Delcy Rodriguez, recently announced a landmark 25-year energy agreement allowing the United States to operate local oil fields to ramp up production to 1.5 million barrels daily, marking a dramatic shift in diplomatic relations while the former Venezuelan leader in US detention remains in federal custody.