Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro made his first public appearance since being captured in Venezuela and brought to the United States, and a short remark he made has drawn widespread attention online.
Surveillance footage released by U.S. authorities shows Maduro dressed in casual black sweats, a matching cap, and prison-issued sandals as he was escorted through a U.S. federal facility in Manhattan. The clip, widely shared and highlighted by the White House, captured Maduro addressing federal agents with just a few words: “Good night, happy New Year.”
The dramatic events began earlier this month when U.S. forces executed a high-profile operation in Caracas, resulting in Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, being seized and transported to New York. The couple was later processed at the DEA’s office before being taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where crowds celebrated news of the unprecedented capture.
Perp walked.pic.twitter.com/34iIsFUDdG
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 4, 2026
Maduro and Flores now face a range of serious charges in the Southern District of New York, including accusations linked to narcotics and terrorism. In his first court appearance since the operation, Maduro pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges, insisting that his arrest was illegitimate and describing it as a kidnapping. He also maintained that he remains Venezuela’s rightful president.
The U.S. government, led by former President Donald Trump, has defended the mission as a necessary step against Venezuelan cartel-linked violence, with Trump asserting that Maduro’s removal will help curb drug trafficking into the United States. However, critics — including prominent political figures — have condemned the raid as controversial and potentially unlawful.
Maduro’s brief three-word comment in the footage — simple yet striking — has become a focal point in coverage of the extraordinary and heavily scrutinized transfer of power.
