Fact Check: Viral Image Of Maduro In US DEA Custody Is AI-Generated, Not Real
The image of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro seen with US DEA officers after his capture in a US military operation is not real, but AI-created.
- By: Abhishek Parashar
- Published: Jan 14, 2026 at 05:42 PM
- Updated: Jan 15, 2026 at 03:28 PM
New Delhi (Vishvas News). Following the attack on Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, and the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, a photo is being shared on social media with the claim that it is the first photo taken after his capture, in which Maduro can be seen in the custody of security forces wearing US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) uniforms.
Vishvas News investigated and found this image to be fake, created using AI. This seemingly realistic image has been used in several news reports, assuming it to be real.
What is the viral post?
Social media user ‘@Arfatkhan011‘ shared the viral post (archive link), with the caption, “BREAKING: UNITED STATES HAVE CAPTURED VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT MADURO AND HIS WIFE.”
This photo has been shared by many other users on different social media platforms in the same context.
Investigation
The viral photo shows Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro flanked by security forces wearing US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) uniforms. We performed a reverse image search to find the source of the image, and found it in several news reports.
This image (archived link) was used in an IndiaTVNews.com report on January 3, 2024. A report on RepublicWorld.com (archived link) also used the image in the same context.
The image has been used in the same context in a January 7 report by The Times of India (archive link), a January 5 report by Moneycontrol.com (archive link) and a report by Oneindia.com (archive link).
The viral image is dated January 3, 2026, while the first visuals of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, being brought to Manhattan and then arraigned in court appeared on January 5. The relevant visuals can be seen in reports from the Wall Street Journal and Dailymotion here and here.
Almost all reports cite social media as their source, making their credibility questionable. Therefore, we checked them using AI detection tools, and Synth ID’s analysis suggests that this image was created using AI.
According to Gemini’s prompt-based analysis, “The internal detection tool detected a SynthID digital watermark in the file (photo), which is a technology Google uses to label images created or edited by its AI.”
It’s worth noting that this watermark is invisible to the human eye, but it’s embedded in content created or altered by one of Google’s many AI products. SynthID’s full analysis can be found here.
Analysis by Image Whisperer, another AI detection tool, also confirms AI manipulation in this photo.
CNN.com reported that the White House and President Donald Trump’s official social media handles shared photos of Maduro after his capture, and we did not find any image that matched the viral image.
A video on ABC7’s official YouTube handle shows a new image of Maduro in handcuffs, which also appears in a January 5 Reuters report.
Several other reports (1, 2, 3) contain footage or visuals of Maduro being brought to New York, in which he is seen surrounded by US officials in a blue sweatshirt with a plane in the background, and this image is completely different from the viral image.
Our investigation revealed that the viral image is not real, but AI-generated. To verify further, we contacted Umashankar Singh, a senior journalist covering foreign affairs, who confirmed that this image is not among any of the official images released after Maduro’s capture. He added that the verification process is less rigorous for images released during breaking news situations, but errors can be corrected later.
According to news reports, Maduro and his wife, Cilia, were captured from their home in Caracas on the morning of January 3, 2026, as part of Operation Absolute Resolve, a military operation announced by US President Donald Trump at a press conference. Maduro and his wife are now facing charges related to arms and drug trafficking in a US court.
Venezuela’s ousted President Nicolas Maduro pleaded not guilty to drug charges on Monday, according to a Reuters report on January 6. “I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man. I am still the president of my country,” the 63-year-old said through an interpreter in Manhattan federal court.
Fact-check reports verifying other viral claims related to the US ‘Operation Absolute Resolve’ operations can be seen here and here.
Conclusion: The image of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro seen with US DEA officers after his capture in a US military operation is not real, but AI-created.
- Claim Review : Image Of Maduro In US DEA Custody
- Claimed By : X user Arfatkhan011'
- Fact Check : False
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