By: Geovany Dias, Emily Rahhal Border Report
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (WPIX) – This morning, Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro is waking up at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, a notorious jail that’s gained attention through many high-profile cases.
The Venezuelan leader faces criminal charges after being captured in an audacious nighttime military operation that President Donald Trump said would set the U.S. up to “run” the South American country.
Overnight, the White House shared a video of Maduro apparently walking through the halls of the Brooklyn detention center, where he’s being held with his wife, Cilia Flores.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed the Venezuelan leader will be prosecuted, although there’s no clear timeline for when his trial will begin since he hasn’t even appeared before a judge yet.
The Metropolitan Detention Center, or MDC Brooklyn, is a routine landing spot for people awaiting trial in federal courts in Manhattan and Brooklyn, holding alleged gangsters and drug traffickers alongside some people accused of white collar crimes.
The detention center has garnered attention this year for its high-profile detainees, from Luigi Mangione, the suspected killer of UnitedHealth Care CEO Brian Thompson, to Sean “Diddy” Combs and Ghislaine Maxwell.
It’s the only federal jail in New York City, and it’s faced criticism for what a judge once called “barbaric” conditions.
Located next to a shopping mall in a waterfront industrial area and within sight of the Statue of Liberty, the jail has been described, at its worst, as a “hell on earth” and an “ongoing tragedy.”
Detainees and their lawyers have long complained about rampant violence. Two prisoners were killed by other inmates in 2024, and jail workers have been charged with accepting bribes or providing contraband.
Recently, however, the federal Bureau of Prisons says it has worked to improve conditions.
The facility added correctional and medical staff, remedying more than 700 backlogged maintenance requests and answering judges’ concerns. Improvements were also made to electrical and plumbing lines, food service, and heating and air conditioning systems.
In addition to the physical upgrades, federal authorities have tried to crack down on crime inside the lockup. Last March, 23 inmates were charged with offenses ranging from smuggling weapons in a Doritos bag to the stabbing of a man convicted in the killing of hip-hop legend Jam Master Jay.
“In short, MDC Brooklyn is safe for the inmates and staff,” the Bureau of Prisons said in September. The inmate population also decreased from 1,580 as of January 2024, which, it said, led to a “substantial decrease” in crime and contraband.
The jail, which currently houses roughly 1,300 inmates, is also being used as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center. The population of immigration detainees has skyrocketed at the Brooklyn jail in recent months.
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