🔗 Share this article Debunking Venezuelan Victory Footage and AI Images of Maduro. Synthetic graphics claiming to show Nicolás Maduro under arrest following his capture by the United States have garnered many millions of views on social media. How Fake Pictures of Maduro Surfaced Soon After The first inauthentic AI image apparently displaying him taken off a aircraft circulated shortly after. The graphic was not shared any official American sources; rather, it was published on the platform X by an account describing itself as an “enthusiast of AI-generated art”. Verification involved Google’s SynthID, confirming the image was generated or edited with AI tools. Additional AI-generated visuals were disseminated in the subsequent period, purporting to present additional perspectives of the leader detained. Discernible identifying marks on the graphics reveal they originated from an Instagram account called ultravfx. SynthID confirms all of these images were likewise created or altered Google AI. Authentic Image Posted but Fabrications Persisted Donald Trump posted the genuine photograph of Nicolás Maduro restrained aboard the US Navy ship on that morning. However, despite the authentic image was published, synthetic images persisted online but were modified to include the grey athletic wear worn by Maduro. Reverse image searches show these updated fakes were originally uploaded on TikTok by a graphic design account. Similarly, the AI-watermark detector confirms these further images were generated or edited AI tools. Key Points: Synthetic media circulated quickly after the news of the president's apprehension. The initial fabricated image was shared within hours on social media. Detection software like AI-watermark detectors helped to identify the pictures as synthetic. Fabrications continued to circulate and be updated despite the publication of authentic photographs. The source of several fakes was linked to specific online profiles focused on graphic design.