Collection
Unpacking claim Kamala Harris said Venezuela 'is a country, but we don't live there, so it's not our country'
Look out for AI-generated videos and images of alleged celebrations in Venezuelan streets and the capture itself.
by Emery Winter , Jan. 9, 2026
Image courtesy of Getty Images
Since U.S. military forces seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores on Jan. 3, 2026, social media has been rife with rumors and speculation about the capture, the couple and people's reactions in Venezuela and abroad.
They include claims about where some Democrats stood on Maduro and his capture before the operation, as well as a rumor that Maduro put a hit on U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio .
Videos and images generated by artificial intelligence tools have also fooled many thousands of people on everything from supposed celebrations in Venezuelan streets to footage of Maduro being captured .
We've investigated these and other claims surrounding Maduro's capture in the days following the operation:
By Emery Winter
Emery Winter is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and previously worked for TEGNA'S VERIFY national fact-checking team. They enjoy sports and video games.
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Jan. 8, 2026
After U.S. forces captured the Venezuelan leader in January 2026, fabricated images showing him ...
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Jan. 8, 2026
During a Fox News interview, the opposition leader said Venezuelans want to share her 2025 Nobel ...
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Anna Paulina Luna claims Maduro 'put out a hit on' Rubio. There's no evidence
Jan. 6, 2026
The U.S. representative may have misremembered a 2017 Miami Herald report about a different Vene ...
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This image doesn't show Cilia Flores in court with head bandage and black eye. Here's the proof
Jan. 9, 2026
Flores, the wife of Nicolás Maduro, has appeared in public with light blond hair since at least ...
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Police arrested protester during interview about US action in Venezuela. Here's context
Jan. 6, 2026
Jessica Plichta, 22, reportedly said she was one of 200 people who marched in Grand Rapids on Ja ...
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Video of people celebrating Maduro's capture wasn't filmed in Venezuela
Jan. 7, 2026
Landmarks on Google Maps revealed that the video was taken in Doral, west of downtown Miami.
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Don't fall for this photo of Maduro being escorted by DEA officers
Jan. 6, 2026
After the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in early January 2026, AI-generated ima ...
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Inspecting image of Maduro giving thumbs up next to DEA agent
Jan. 8, 2026
A flurry of images purportedly showing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro circulated online aft ...
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ICE didn't accidentally send Maduro back to Venezuela
Jan. 5, 2026
In early January 2026, the U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife and tr ...
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Why unverified claim Barron Trump made $400K from insider trading on Maduro capture spread online
Jan. 8, 2026
One trader made more than $400,000 betting on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's downfall. Bu ...
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Did former Trump adviser Fiona Hill once speak of 'strange swap arrangement' involving Venezuela and Ukraine?
Jan. 6, 2026
Hill said Russian officials had suggested a "swap arrangement" based on the principles of the Mo ...
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Did ex-Venezuelan spy chief Hugo Carvajal release list of US senators who took kickbacks? What we know
Jan. 6, 2026
Carvajal reportedly alleged that U.S. diplomats and CIA officers were paid to help keep Maduro i ...
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Watch out for this video of Venezuelans celebrating Maduro's capture, thanking Trump
Jan. 6, 2026
Venezuelans have reportedly had mixed reactions to the U.S. operation to capture President Nicol ...
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Did Biden put $25M bounty on Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro? Here are the facts
Jan. 5, 2026
Donald Trump's first administration offered a $15 million reward for any information on Maduro i ...
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Investigating claim Venezuela's Delcy Rodríguez fled to Russia after Maduro's capture
Jan. 5, 2026
Posts citing Reuters claimed that Rodríguez fled to Russia, but later reporting and denials comp ...
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Did Hakeem Jeffries attempt to contact Venezuela's Maduro prior to his capture? Not so fast
Jan. 5, 2026
According to users' social media posts, Newsmax reported about the House minority leader's alleg ...
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Unpacking claim Kamala Harris said Venezuela 'is a country, but we don't live there, so it's not our country'
Jan. 9, 2026
The former vice president supposedly added, "And when we go there, we are in another country."
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