AI Floods Maduro Capture With Deepfakes

Since US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro on Jan. 3, 2026, social media has been flooded with AI-generated images and videos that blur fact and fiction, AFP reports. Researchers and academics warn coordinated 'disinformation labs' and state-aligned media are using AI animations and deepfakes to confuse audiences and undermine trust during Maduro's detention in a New York prison on drug-trafficking charges.