WHAT WAS CLAIMED
Images and videos show Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's arrest.
OUR VERDICT
False. The images and videos are AI-generated or manipulated.
AAP FACTCHECK - A flood of misinformation has spread online after the US captured and arrested Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Many viral posts claim to show the Venezuelan leader being arrested or in custody, but many of them are AI-generated fakes.
US forces apprehended Maduro in January 2026 and he's been detained in a New York jail where he's pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and weapons charges.
One image that has spread widely since the strike appears to show Maduro in a black jacket on a tarmac in custody with American troops on January 3, 2026.
However, a reverse image search using Google's SynthID Detector states that it was created with Google's AI image generation tools.
Maduro's attire and other details differ significantly from images released by the White House or shot by credible news media.
Another image of Maduro with soldiers on an airport runway has been widely shared, but it bears the watermark of Instagram user UltraVFX, whose bio describes him as a digital creator and "professional in artificial intelligence".
In a story posted on that account seen by AAP Factcheck, the creator shared the image with a caption boasting, "7.6 million views on Facebook".
Another image that appears to show Maduro in handcuffs has been manipulated.
Maduro's head is obviously far too large for his body and his hands are a much lighter shade than the rest of his skin.
The image was originally of a pro-Russian Ukrainian politician and oligarch, Viktor Medvedchuk, who was arrested by Ukrainian forces in 2022.
Another image shared on X seems to show soldiers holding a blood-stained, battered and dishevelled Maduro.
One post sharing the image states: "Obviously, Maduro fought a good fight during his arrest".
"Pay heed to his bĺood-stained, white shirt," the post reads.
The photo also appears to be AI-generated. The Venezuelan president's shirt is bloody but there is no sign of blood on his person.
The soldier holding Maduro also appears to be missing his little finger and the image has not been published by any credible media outlets.
Misleading or AI-generated video clips are also distorting the narrative of Maduro's arrest.
The White House has released a video of Mr Maduro in custody doing what it described as a "perp walk", but many other videos are fake.
One clip shared on Instagram and TikTok purports to be dramatic bodycam footage filmed by a US soldier during Maduro's capture, but it also appears to be AI-generated.
The video has an unrealistic video game look, while the frames showing the Venezuelan president appear especially rubbery and do not match the lighting of other people in the clip.
At one point, Maduro's left arm appears distorted and far too large for his body.
At the time of writing, the Trump administration has yet to release any bodycam footage of the raid.
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