The Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), where Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is currently held, is a federal facility with a history marked by serious challenges. Operational since the early 1990s, the center accommodates approximately 1,300 inmates and serves as the standard holding location for individuals awaiting trial in Manhattan and Brooklyn federal courts. It hosts a diverse group of detainees, ranging from accused gang members and drug traffickers to individuals facing white-collar crime charges.
Located adjacent to a shopping complex in a waterfront industrial zone within sight of the Statue of Liberty, the facility has garnered descriptions such as "hell on earth" and an "ongoing tragedy," reflecting chronic problems that have plagued it for decades. Legal professionals and inmates alike have frequently raised concerns regarding pervasive violence within the jail. In 2024, two inmates were fatally attacked by fellow prisoners, while some corrections personnel have been implicated in accepting bribes and facilitating contraband smuggling.
During the winter of 2019, the MDC experienced a week-long power outage that left inmates trapped in darkness and extreme cold, underscoring persistent infrastructure issues. To address these systemic problems, the federal Bureau of Prisons recently invested in improvements, which included hiring additional correctional and medical staff, resolving over 700 outstanding maintenance requests, and upgrading electrical, plumbing, food service, heating, and air conditioning systems. These efforts seem to be addressing some critics' concerns, as officials noted a considerable decline in both inmate population—from 1,580 earlier in 2024 to current levels—and internal crime rates.
MDC Brooklyn has held several prominent detainees in the past and present, shedding light on its role in housing significant figures. Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández was incarcerated at this facility during his trial for cocaine trafficking before receiving a pardon from President Donald Trump and his subsequent release. Notable past inmates include crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried and Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Currently, among detainees are Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada Garcia, co-founder of Mexico’s Sinaloa drug cartel, and Luigi Mangione, charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO.
Maduro's arrival at the MDC sparked a gathering of Venezuelan expatriates in the streets outside the jail, many wrapped in national flags, celebrating the event as the law enforcement convoy carrying Maduro and his wife reached the facility. His incarceration within this facility places him among other high-profile detainees, some of whom he may encounter upon release from his initially isolated quarters. One such inmate is Hugo Carvajal, former Venezuelan chief of intelligence who broke with Maduro's government in 2019 and has shown willingness to cooperate with U.S. authorities. Additionally, Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco, alleged to be a member of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang and arrested on firearms charges in New York, is currently held at MDC.
The MDC has attracted heightened attention following the 2021 closure of New York City’s Metropolitan Correctional Center, which was shut down after Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide there exposed severe security lapses, deteriorating infrastructure, and unsanitary conditions. While the Bureau of Prisons asserts that current measures have enhanced safety for inmates and staff at MDC Brooklyn, the facility’s difficult history and the notorious backgrounds of many detainees maintain the jail’s notoriety.