Fake and Misleading Images Claim to Show Venezuelan President Maduro’s Capture

Following the U.S. military intervention in Venezuela and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, several images have been circulating widely on social media platforms, claiming to show his arrest.

However, a closer examination of the images shows that they fall into two categories, which are AI-generated images and a misattributed historical photograph.

In this blog, Misbar identified several of these images and fact-checked them.

Fake Image Claims to Show Maduro’s Arrest by DEA

One of the most widely circulated images claims to show Maduro being arrested by two Delta Force members. It appears to be a photo of a laptop screen and shows the date January 3, 2026.

The image was also circulated by media outlets and websites, such as The Sunday Guardian.

The photo was also circulated as a video showing Maduro walking with the two American forces in front of what appears to be a private jet.

Both versions show several signs of digital alteration.

In the photo version, the head of the personnel standing on the ladder in the background appears to be missing entirely.

In another version of the photo, another person in the background has a head that appears distorted and unnatural. The fingers of two of the personnel holding Maduro also appear distorted and unrealistic.

Additionally, the American flag on the vest of the soldier on the left seems to be missing the stars, while the badge on the vest of the soldier on the right displays the logo of DEA Special Agents, the Drug Enforcement Administration, which was not reported to participate in the operation, as it was carried out by Delta Force special operations.

Misbar also found that the photo was likely first shared by the Twitter account @San_live.

The account’s bio identifies him as an AI video art enthusiast, further supporting that the image was AI-generated.

The video version shows even clearer signs of digital alteration. At one moment, the hands of the soldier on the right appear to merge unnaturally with Maduro’s elbow.

Another common sign of manipulation is abnormal leg movement: the shadows of the feet are inconsistent and, in several instances, appear to merge into the ground unnaturally.

AI-Generated Photo Series Falsely Presented as Official Images

Several series of photos were circulated alongside the first, each also presented as official images.

They were amplified by several accounts on multiple social media platforms.

Misbar investigated the circulating photos and found that they had been posted on Instagram by an AI creator called UltravFX.

In his Instagram post, the account clearly stated that these photos were AI-generated.

Close-Up Image Allegedly Showing Maduro Injured

In a third case, Maduro is shown being captured by U.S. personnel in a closer shot, wearing white with blood on his shirt.

It was also shared by several news outlets, including RTN Canada, the U.K.-based News in Pictures website, and others.

Misbar identified several clear signs of digital alteration. These include the unusually high quality of the photo, the unnaturally smooth skin of Maduro and the personnel holding him, showing no wrinkles, and the merging of the hands of the personnel with Maduro’s body in several spots.

Additionally, the blood on Maduro’s shirt appears unrealistic and scattered unnaturally.
Another similar photo shows Maduro in a white shirt inside a plane. Once again, users claimed that this was an official image of Maduro being taken to the United States.

Several signs of digital alteration can be spotted in this photo. These include the low resolution, abnormal plane and window structures, distorted details in the hands, as well as distortion in the eye of the personnel sitting to Maduro’s left and in the bootlaces of the person sitting to his right.

However, one detail that further proves the video is digitally altered, also noted by several users, is the military uniform worn by the forces. The personnel appear to be wearing the old Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP), which was officially phased out in 2019.

U.S. forces currently wear the green-and-brown Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP), which all soldiers have been required to possess and wear since then.

Another satirical case was posted by a Ukrainian account, also claiming that the White House had published the first photo of the captured Maduro.

The photo was amplified by several users on different platforms.

The post, which reached nearly four million views, was later explained by the account to be clearly satirical.

The photo shows several obvious signs of digital alteration, including Maduro’s head appearing unusually large and disproportionate. Additionally, a Ukrainian flag can be seen on the shoulder of one of the vests, which further raises questions about the image’s authenticity.

However, Misbar investigated the photo and found that it originally showed Ukrainian-born, pro-Russian businessman and politician Viktor Medvedchuk.
The image was first published on the Telegram channel of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on April 12, 2022.

Old Photo of Saddam Hussein Falsely Claimed to Show Capture of Maduro

In a different case, a photo was shared claiming to show a U.S. personnel member with Maduro while his head was covered and he was handcuffed inside a car.

The photo, which was widely circulated and reached millions of users, is actually misattributed.

Misbar found that it shows the capture of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in 2003.

It was shared by the Daily Mail on January 1, 2023, and depicts Kevin Holland, “the only known soldier to have served in both the Navy’s elite SEAL Team 6 and the Army’s Delta Force,” alongside Hussein.

Donald Trump Posts Genuine Photo of Nicolás Maduro on USS Iwo Jima

The American President, Donald Trump, later posted a genuine image of Nicolás Maduro on his Truth Social account, showing him on board the USS Iwo Jima. In the photo, Maduro appears to be wearing Nike pajamas, further underscoring that the other images circulating online were fabricated.

Shortly afterward, Trump announced that the United States would place Venezuela under temporary American control.

Speaking at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump said: “We will run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition. We can’t take a chance that someone else takes over Venezuela who doesn’t have the interests of Venezuelans in mind.”

Trump added that, as part of the takeover, major U.S. oil companies would move into Venezuela, home to the world’s largest proven oil reserve, to refurbish the country’s severely degraded oil infrastructure, a process experts said could take years.

In response, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez appeared on Venezuelan television on Saturday afternoon alongside senior officials to denounce what she described as a kidnapping.

“We demand the immediate release of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores,” Rodríguez said, calling Maduro “the only president of Venezuela.”

A Venezuelan court later ordered Rodríguez to assume the position of interim president.

Rodríguez also stressed that Venezuela would not become a colony of any country and would defend itself against any military aggression.

Hours later, multiple news outlets reported that President Maduro had landed in the United States.

Maduro and his wife were then taken to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s office in Manhattan, where they were booked.

Both are expected to make an initial appearance in Manhattan federal court on Monday, according to a Justice Department official. His wife also faces charges, including conspiracy to import cocaine.

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