On Monday, Venezuelan ex-leader Nicolás Maduro entered a not guilty plea to federal drug trafficking accusations in a U.S. judicial setting. Concurrently, social media platforms saw a surge in visuals falsely associated with his detention. Among these were videos and images that either depicted unrelated events or were entirely fabricated, and these have been disseminated broadly, fueling misperceptions.
President Donald Trump notably intensified this spread by sharing multiple videos that he inaccurately asserted captured Venezuelans rejoicing over the operation against Maduro. Additionally, images purporting to show Maduro's capture by U.S. military and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) personnel were circulated extensively online, despite being proven false.
False Video Claim 1: A nocturnal aerial recording showing a large crowd suddenly running was billed as footage of Venezuelan jubilation following Maduro’s arrest.
Reality Check: The video actually captures UCLA students participating in the "Undie Run," a quarterly event held in December where students run in their underwear during finals week. Identifiable landmarks such as the Wasserman Football Center and the Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center confirm the location as UCLA. The crowd is situated at Strathmore Place and Charles E. Young Drive West, near the run's starting tunnel.
Trump shared this video on Truth Social with added ominous music and a caption reading "Venezuela celebrates, Democrats cry," further obscuring its true nature. The original TikTok post dates back to December 11, and it includes captions that match those in the misrepresented versions.
False Video Claim 2: A daytime aerial video featuring densely packed streets was portrayed as Venezuelan celebrations marking the end of Maduro's rule.
Reality Check: The footage, however, shows a massive demonstration in Caracas in July 2024, protesting the disputed election that election authorities awarded to Maduro. The video reveals opposition leaders María Corina Machado and Edmundo González on a float navigating through the crowds. Trump shared an altered version accompanied by a false tweet claiming "Millions of Venezuelans are celebrating the news of the collapse of the Maduro regime." The original Instagram post from July 30, 2024, confirms the context of the video during the protests.
Fabricated Images Claim: Photographs claiming to depict Maduro's detention by U.S. military and DEA agents were circulated online.
Reality Check: These images are artificially created and bear watermarks crediting an Instagram user who identifies as a professional in artificial intelligence. Although they have since been removed from the user's profile, archived versions show a man resembling Maduro surrounded by individuals in military attire with American flag and DEA insignias. One widely shared image shows a man in a gray sweatsuit aboard the USS Iwo Jima, with features obscured, falsely labeled as Maduro.
These instances have led to a significant spread of inaccurate information about the ongoing legal and political developments involving Nicolás Maduro, necessitating careful scrutiny of circulating multimedia related to these events.