Venezuelan strongman Maduro flashed a thumbs up and a peace sign as he and Cilia Flores were escorted in handcuffs and under heavy guard out of the Stewart Air National Guard Base north of New York City.

It was the first time Flores, who married Maduro in 2013, has been seen after her arrest alongside her husband by US Delta Force operators on Friday night.

Photos show Flores bundled in a green and yellow hooded sweatshirt, her hands clasped tightly in front of her chest as armed agents surrounded her on the tarmac.

She offered no gestures and no expression as she was moved through a secure area following her arrival.

Both Venezuelan leaders were taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where they are set to face narco-terrorism charges.

The images capture a striking fall for a woman long viewed as one of the most influential — and controversial — figures inside Venezuela’s authoritarian system.

Prior to her marriage to Maduro, she was president of the National Assembly — and one of the key power brokers in the nation of 31 million people.

Flores first met Maduro in the early 1990s while both were married. They crossed paths while working in the orbit of Hugo Chávez after his failed coup landed him in prison.

They soon became both romanticly and politically involved.

Over the years, their bond deepened as they rose through Venezuela’s socialist movement, eventually divorcing their respective spouses and becoming partners.

They lived together for nearly two decades without marrying, a decision allies framed as ideological and critics saw as calculated.

Maduro finally made the relationship official in July 2013 — just months after assuming the presidency — announcing that the couple had quietly married in a small family ceremony, “legalizing what already existed.”

The marriage cemented Flores’ role not just as Maduro’s wife, but as his closest confidante and political enforcer.

Maduro finally made the relationship official in July 2013 — just months after assuming the presidency — announcing that the couple had quietly married in a small family ceremony, “legalizing what already existed.”

Often dubbed the regime’s “First Combatant,” she wielded influence far beyond any ceremonial first lady role, advising Maduro on legal and political matters as Venezuela slid deeper into crisis.

Inside Venezuela, Flores was widely viewed by critics and analysts as the real power behind the throne — a far more astute and feared operator than her husband, who often served as the public face of the regime.

Former officials and analysts described her as a secretive, ruthless political tactician and Maduro’s chief adviser on legal and political matters.

She wielded direct institutional power as both president of the National Assembly and later attorney general, positions that gave her influence over legislation, prosecutions and judicial appointments.

During her rise, Flores was accused of packing government offices with relatives and loyalists — allegations that fueled claims she used the machinery of the state to entrench the regime and protect its inner circle.

Advertisement