Fact Check: Does the US military photo show the arrest of Nicolas Maduro?

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Following the dramatic US military operation that led to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, an image of an American soldier standing next to a hooded detainee began spreading on social media, claiming to be the arrest of Maduro. Let us examine the authenticity of the image and fact-check the claim.

Claim: Photo shows the arrest of Nicolas Maduro

A photo of a US Delta Force officer posing next to a detained man with a bag covering his head began circulating online after the capture of Nicolas Maduro on January 3. 

Responding to the dramatic arrest of the socialist leader, a X user shared the photo with the caption, 'Say Cheese.'

Similar posts also circulated in Spanish.

Fact Check: The photo shows the capture of Saddam Hussein

While the same unit was in charge of capturing the Venezuelan leader, the picture was taken in 2003 and shows Iraq's slain dictator, Saddam Hussein. 

A reverse image search led to a Daily Mail article published in January 2023, which featured a historic image of the capture of Iraq’s then-president.

According to the article, the soldier in the image is identified as special operations veteran Kevin Holland, who served in the Delta Force during Hussein's capture, as well as Navy SEAL Team 6.

The caption below the photo read, “Holland - seen at left - described how soldiers posed for pictures with the deposed dictator.”

Several false claims and fabricated photos attributed to the arrest of Maduro have been circulating online, fueling confusion and speculation.

The dramatic capture of Nicolas Maduro

Explosions rocked the Venezuelan capital in the early hours of January 3 as US forces conducted an operation to capture Maduro. 

According to reports, the mission targeted heavily guarded locations to facilitate the swift extraction of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. 

Attorney General Pam Bondi said that the couple would 'face the full wrath of American justice' on US soil.

The operation follows years of US pressure on Maduro, including bounties placed on his head, which escalated from $15 million to $25 million under the previous administration, and further to $50 million under the current administration. President Donald Trump pointed to Maduro's alleged ties to drug cartels, including the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which has been linked to several criminal activities in the US.