Photographs of deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro smiling and making a peace sign inside a federal prison in Brooklyn have been released months after he was seized by US forces.
Maduro, 63, is shown in a grey tracksuit and white trainers in two images apparently taken at the Metropolitan Detention Center. Metadata indicates they were captured on June 25, although they were published on Sunday.
The photographs were shared on Maduro’s social media accounts alongside a message saying he was “standing firm”. He described them as a gift for his grandchildren and supporters, adding that Venezuela would “rise again”. ([cbsnews.com](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nicolas-maduro-photos-new-york-prison/))
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were detained during a US military operation in Caracas on January 3 and taken to New York. Both are being held at the Brooklyn facility while facing US charges including narco-terrorism, cocaine trafficking and firearms offences, which they deny. ([cbsnews.com](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nicolas-maduro-photos-new-york-prison/))
The new images appear to show Maduro having lost weight since his capture. He is seen grinning at the camera and raising two fingers in a V-sign, while wearing what appears to be prison-issued clothing.
Maduro photographs emerge amid US oil agreement
The release comes days after President Donald Trump announced an agreement with Venezuela granting the United States majority control of oil reserves linked to 17 fields.
Trump called it “the biggest oil deal in world history”, while Venezuela’s interim administration said the arrangement could attract $100 billion (£76 billion) in investment and generate more than $209 billion in tax revenue for Caracas.
Under the terms outlined by a US official, an unnamed private operator would form a new company with the American government and receive rights to develop the fields for up to 100 years. The United States would have an effective 55 per cent share of the venture’s output, including an ownership stake and the right to buy oil at cost. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/eb0ed5a1e99602c21a7f690c3368020e))
Trump has said the agreement will help replenish America’s strategic petroleum reserves and lower petrol prices, although experts have cautioned that restoring Venezuela’s damaged oil infrastructure would take years and require substantial investment. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/eb0ed5a1e99602c21a7f690c3368020e))
The Metropolitan Detention Center, where Maduro is being held, houses defendants awaiting trial in federal courts in New York. The facility has previously faced criticism over violence, contraband and poor conditions, although the Bureau of Prisons says staffing and maintenance have since improved. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/f985d47a1aa82ac330aa8a2e004f3db2))
Maduro’s lawyers are expected to challenge the case in court, including on grounds of immunity. He and Flores have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
