AI-generated content fuels misinformation after Maduro’s capture

Pro-Trump users circulated at least five fabricated or misleading images and two misrepresented videos claiming to show the raid in Caracas and its aftermath. On X alone, the content amassed more than 14 million views in less than two days, with limited spread on Instagram, Facebook, and Threads.

One widely shared image depicted Maduro in white pajamas aboard a military aircraft, framed as evidence of his humiliation. The post, viewed over 4.6 million times, was later identified as AI-generated, showing clear visual inconsistencies. In reality, Maduro was transferred by helicopter to the USS Iwo Jima and was wearing a grey tracksuit, goggles, and headphones, according to an image posted by U.S. President Donald Trump on Truth Social.

Another viral photo allegedly showed a U.S. soldier posing with a hooded Maduro. NewsGuard confirmed the image was from the 2003 capture of Iraq’s former leader Saddam Hussein and not related to Venezuela.

A separate video, promoted as footage of U.S. Special Forces storming a Venezuelan military base, was traced to a June 2025 demonstration at Fort Bragg during celebrations marking the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary.

While U.S. forces did carry out a swift operation at Caracas’ Fuerte Tiuna complex, no verified footage has been released. Analysts note that such near-realistic visuals can mislead audiences, blurring the line between fact and fiction even when the underlying event is real.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro pleaded not guilty on Monday during his first appearance in a U.S. federal court in New York, where he faces multiple criminal charges related to drug trafficking.