🔗 Share this article Unmasking Venezuela Celebration Footage and AI Images of Nicolás Maduro. Synthetic graphics purporting to portray Nicolás Maduro under arrest after his apprehension by the American authorities have garnered tens of millions of views across the internet. The Way Fake Pictures of Maduro Emerged Within Hours The first fabricated synthetic picture seemingly displaying him taken off a plane surfaced shortly after. The picture was absent from any verified American sources; it was instead posted on the platform X by an account purporting to be an “AI video art enthusiast”. Our analysis used an AI-watermark detector, confirming the image was generated or edited with Google AI. Additional synthetic visuals were disseminated in the subsequent hours, appearing to show different views of the leader in custody. Noticeable logos on these images reveal they came from an Instagram account called ultravfx. The detection tool says these additional pictures were likewise generated or edited generative models. Authentic Image Posted but Fabrications Persisted The former US president released the initial authentic image of Maduro in handcuffs aboard the USS Iwo Jima on Saturday morning. Yet following this real photo was made public, synthetic pictures continued to spread but were modified to incorporate the grey athletic wear worn by Maduro. Digital forensics indicate these altered fabrications were originally uploaded on TikTok by a digital art account. Again, analysis confirms the new graphics were generated or edited generative artificial intelligence. Key Points: Synthetic media gained traction after the news of Maduro's capture. The initial fabricated image was shared very quickly on social media. Detection software like Google’s SynthID helped to confirm the pictures as inauthentic. Fake images persisted to circulate and be updated even after the release of authentic photographs. The origin of many fabricated images was linked to specific online accounts dedicated to graphic design.