Maduro son says prison staff took jail photos

Nicolas Maduro Guerra said photos of his father, deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, in a US detention center were taken by prison staff and mailed to the family.

Two photos of Maduro appeared on his social media on Sunday. Maduro is incarcerated in a facility in New York and does not have access to the internet.

Maduro Guerra said in a video posted Tuesday on X that the photos were taken on June 25, a day after a double earthquake that killed 6,500 Venezuelans. He said the date matched a time stamp visible on the images.

He said his father was watching television and was shaken by the earthquake when the photos were taken. He said prison staff gave Maduro printed copies, which Maduro mailed on July 13 to an address in the United States.

Maduro Guerra said his father also dictated a message to him from prison on Friday, which he later published alongside the photographs.

“I am sending these photos as a small gift to all my grandchildren, to the boys and girls, and to all the good people who love us,” Maduro wrote on Telegram, according to his son.

Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are awaiting trial on charges related to drug and firearms trafficking. They have pleaded not guilty.

Maduro, who led Venezuela from 2013 to 2026, was ousted and arrested by US forces in January. His vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, has governed as interim leader under intense pressure from Washington.