Noise-cancelling earmuffs, grey Nike sweats: Trump drops first Maduro photo as Caracas demands proof

A shipboard photo, a disputed capture, and a city on edge.

• Trump claims US forces captured Maduro and wife in Caracas overnight raid
• Maduro reportedly held aboard USS Iwo Jima, en route to US for prosecution
• US officials say no American personnel were injured during the operation

Did our AI summary help?

President Donald Trump posted an image on Truth Social that he said shows Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro aboard the USS Iwo Jima, after Trump claimed US forces captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in an overnight raid in Caracas and flew them out for prosecution on narco-terrorism allegations.

Maduro, in a gray Nike sweatsuit, clutches a water bottle

Maduro’s eyes are covered with an blacked out covering and what looks like large headphones are over his ears. It is unclear if Maduro is near his wife Cilia Flores, given she is not pictured in the photograph.

Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima. pic.twitter.com/omF2UpDJhA

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 3, 2026

The Washington Post reported that Maduro was said to be aboard the USS Iwo Jima as the ship moved toward the US, amid Trump’s claims that Maduro would face charges in New York.

Separately, a fabricated image circulating earlier online drew quick mockery and debunking from users — a reminder that in fast-breaking crises, viral “evidence” often outruns verification. (This newsroom summary cannot independently confirm the origin of that earlier fake from primary forensics.)

😁The White House has published the first photo of the captured Maduro. pic.twitter.com/i4YMuhuKh2 — 🪖MilitaryNewsUA🇺🇦 (@front_ukrainian) January 3, 2026

What the US says happened in Caracas

US accounts described a sudden operation that involved strikes and a raid on Maduro’s Caracas residence. Reuters reported that Maduro and Flores were captured by US special forces and held temporarily aboard the USS Iwo Jima before being moved toward the United States to face charges.

The Associated Press said the couple were captured at a residence inside the Ft. Tiuna military base complex in Caracas and flown to a US warship before transfer for prosecution.

US officials cited in reporting said the mission was focused on apprehending Maduro and that no American personnel were injured.