Maduro looks different in first prison photos since US operation

Key Points:

• Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro shared the first known photos of himself inside a New York prison, where he has been held for eight months on drug trafficking charges following his capture by U.S. forces.
• The images, posted on Maduro’s social media, show him in a gray sweatsuit looking noticeably thinner; he sent the photos as a message of hope to his family and supporters amid his detention.
• Maduro’s wife, also facing related drug trafficking charges, was flown to New York alongside him, and he expressed gratitude for the support received while maintaining faith in Venezuela’s future.
• The photo release coincided with a recent U.S.-Venezuela oil deal granting the U.S. majority control over 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil, a significant move amid rising fuel prices linked to the Iran conflict.
• Since incarceration, Maduro reportedly spends much time reading the Bible and has limited outside communication, with 8.5 hours per month allowed for conversations, according to his son.