WASHINGTON (AP) —President Trump posted a photo on social media showing captured Venezuelan leader Maduro wearing a sweatsuit and a blindfold with the caption: “Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima.”
Maduro appeared to be wearing a flotation device around his neck. Next to him was someone wearing a jacket that had a DEA logo.
Maduro also had protective headphones on his ears and appeared to be lifting a water bottle with both arms to drink.
Trump says he spoke to Maduro as recently as last week
Trump told Fox News he spoke to Maduro several times, including most recently a week ago.
Maduro denied that in an interview on New Year’s Eve, saying he had only spoken to Trump in November.
Trump’s action against Maduro contrasts with clemency granted to ex-Honduras leader
Trump’s dramatic action against Maduro is the polar opposite of the clemency he granted to former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández.
Trump in December pardoned Hernández though he was sentenced to 45 years in U.S. prison for helping drug traffickers to safely move hundreds of tons of cocaine north through his country to the U.S.
Hernández, who enjoyed support from officials in the first Trump administration, was convicted by a U.S. jury in New York — which Maduro is now set to face.
When asked in an interview with Politico about the pardon, Trump said, “I don’t know him” and “I know very little about him,” but added that he was told that Hernández “was set up.”
“The country, uh, deals in drugs, like probably you could say that about every country, and because he was the president, they gave him like 45 years in prison,” he said.
Trump says a helicopter was hit and ‘a few’ US members were injured in Venezuela
Trump said a helicopter was hit during the operation in Venezuela and a few U.S. members were injured, but he believed none were killed.
“A couple of guys were hit, but they came back and they’re supposed to be in pretty good shape,” he said.
He said the U.S. lost no aircraft in the operation.
“We got it all back. One of them was hit pretty hard but—a helicopter—but we got it back.