New York, Jan 4 (NationPress) Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro has been confined in a notorious federal prison in New York following his apprehension by US forces at a military installation in Venezuela, where he had been mocking President Donald Trump. As he was brought into the local Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) office on Saturday night before being incarcerated, he quipped, looking directly at the camera, “Good night. Happy New Year.”

Once the undisputed leader of the oil-rich South American nation, in a video released by the White House, he appeared in a brown jumpsuit, shackled and holding a water bottle, flanked by two DEA officers gripping his elbows.

Maduro and his spouse Cilia Flores, captured during a pre-dawn raid on Saturday, arrived at the Stewart Air National Guard Base approximately 100 kilometers from the city, before being transported to a heliport in downtown Manhattan close to federal offices and courts.

Their initial destination was the DEA office due to the serious narco-terrorism allegations they face.

Subsequently, they were moved to the Metropolitan Detention Centre (MDC) in Brooklyn, where they will await their appearance in New York federal court, anticipated on Monday.

A large gathering assembled near the jail, jeering and hurling insults at him.

Maduro, who had a $50 million bounty on his head, was taken from the Venezuelan military base Fuerte Tiuna to the USS Iwo Jima, one of the Navy vessels surrounding Venezuela, before being flown to the US air base.

According to charges presented by Attorney General Pam Bondi, they face accusations of narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and possession of firearms.

An outstanding indictment from 2020 also charged them with leading the drug organization Cartel de los Soles.

Trump has suggested the possibility of transferring the trial to Miami, which is home to the largest population of Venezuelan exiles in the US, and the news of his capture was met with celebration.

“A decision will be made, I assume, between New York and Miami or Florida,” Trump stated.

The MDC, notorious for its harsh conditions, has housed terrorists such as Omar Abdel Rahman and Ramzi Yousef, infamous arms dealer Viktor Bout, and drug lord Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzman. Financial fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried and rapper Sean 'Diddy' Combs are also among its notable inmates.

Pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, whose connections included powerful politicians and celebrities, was found dead there, with officials claiming it was a suicide.

Maduro's fellow inmates include Luigi Mangione, who is on trial for allegedly murdering United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson and has garnered a folk hero status.

The overcrowded prison is known for its deplorable conditions; in 2024, a federal judge noted that the circumstances at the MDC created “exceptional reasons” for not detaining an individual there.

Trump has framed Maduro’s arrest as part of an anti-drug initiative, aiming to present it as a standard law enforcement operation to bypass international law against violating national sovereignty.

For the time being, he has allowed Maduro’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who has been sworn in as his successor, to remain in power.

“She’s essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again,” Trump remarked.

Rodriguez, however, strongly countered, accusing the US of aggression and stating, “This regime change would also allow for the seizure of our energy, mineral, and natural resources.”

“There is only one president in this country, and his name is Nicolas Maduro,” she asserted.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented about Rodriguez and the interim administration, “We’re going to make decisions based on their actions and their deeds in the upcoming days and weeks.”

Yet, complicating matters, Trump has also stated, “We are going to run the country right,” hinting at the potential for significant profits.

This likely alludes to Venezuela’s oil wealth.

He has previously accused Caracas of “stealing” US wealth due to its nationalization of investments made by American oil firms.

He has also mentioned that there would be no troops on the ground in Venezuela, without detailing how the US would “run” the country.

Maria Corina Machado, the opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has also claimed the presidency for Edmundo Gonzalez, who opposed Maduro in the 2024 election, deemed rigged by the US and several international observers.

Gonzales stood as the opposition candidate after Maduro barred Machado from participating in the election.

Although Trump has endorsed the notion of a rigged election and Gonzales being the true victor, he has remained silent regarding them.

The Justice Department's charging document states that Maduro, along with his wife and former and current interior ministers, has operated a drug network for 25 years, sitting “atop a corrupt, illegitimate government that has leveraged its power to protect and promote illegal activities for decades.”

The indictment also includes the leader of Tren de Aragua, a violent Venezuelan gang that expanded its influence across the US during former President Joe Biden’s administration, as well as Colombian terrorist groups FARC and ELN, along with the Mexican drug cartels Sinaloa and Zeta.

Maduro and his associates are alleged to have collaborated with these groups in conducting the purported drug operation.