Nicolás Maduro Transferred to Brooklyn's MDC

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores have reportedly been transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn. The transfer occurred late Saturday after the couple arrived by plane in New York. This development follows President Donald Trump's announcement that the US captured the Venezuelan president and his wife following a 'large-scale strike' on Venezuela.

The MDC is a federal prison known for housing high-profile defendants facing trial in New York City. It has also housed Luigi Mangioni, who is accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The facility has a history of criticism regarding its conditions, often described as 'inhumane' and a 'hell on earth.' Reports have detailed issues such as lack of heat in winter and contaminated food. Additionally, legal actions have been taken against defendants involved in violence and contraband at the facility. Simultaneously, the US Department of Justice has expanded indictments against Maduro, his wife, and his son regarding alleged drug trafficking operations.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are reportedly awaiting their first court appearance at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn. Numerous publications have reported that the pair were escorted to the federal prison late Saturday after arriving by plane in New York. The MDC has yet to confirm the transfer.

The facility, located in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, has been home to many high-profile defendants. Previous inmates include:

• Music mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs
• Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of FTX
• Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted of aiding Jeffrey Epstein
• Luigi Mangioni, accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson

Mangioni has pleaded not guilty to the charges. The transfer of the Venezuelan President marks a significant event for the facility, which operates under the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

The Metropolitan Detention Center has faced widespread criticism over the years for its poor conditions. The facility has been described as 'inhumane' and a 'hell on earth.' The Legal Aid Society issued a press release last year lamenting the jail's 'documented history of violence, medical neglect, and human and civil rights violations.'

Specific reports cited by the Legal Aid Society included:

• No heat available during the winter months
• Food that was infested with maggots

In 2024, a federal judge in Brooklyn made headlines by carving out a special exemption during sentencing to help a defendant avoid the MDC. The judge ruled that if a 74-year-old man convicted of tax fraud were assigned to the MDC, he could serve his time under house arrest instead. In March of the same year, Brooklyn federal prosecutors announced charges against 25 defendants in 12 separate cases tied to violence and contraband smuggling at the jail. The Legal Aid Society stated in a June press release that 'Over the years, MDC has become synonymous with egregious neglect and abuse with the people incarcerated.'

President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that the US had captured Nicolás Maduro and his wife after a 'large-scale strike' on Venezuela. Trump stated that the US is 'going to run the country' until it can facilitate a safe transition of power. He also mentioned that US oil companies will now be free to 'spend billions' on development in the South American nation.

The US Department of Justice has targeted Maduro for years. In 2020, Manhattan federal prosecutors indicted him as a leader of the Cartel de Las Soles, an alleged drug-trafficking organization run by Venezuela's military and political elite. An expanded indictment unsealed on Saturday added Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores, and his son, Nicolás Ernesto Maduro Guerra, as defendants. The son is identified in the indictment as 'The Prince.' The indictment accuses them of participating in a wide-ranging effort to traffic drugs to the US to enrich themselves.