The capture and extraction of Nicolas Maduro from Venezuela was pulled off with stunning speed by a wide array of U.S. forces, leading to universal praise for the troops in an otherwise controversial move by the Trump administration.
Operating by land, sea and air, the shock and awe that the mission produced led some analysts to note that even adversaries like China, Iran and Russia would privately be impressed by U.S. military capabilities.
But another big winner emerged from Operation Absolute Resolve: the Nike Tech fleece jacket and sweat pants.
That’s because President Donald Trump posted a picture of Maduro wearing a Nike tracksuit while onboard the USS Iwo Jima after his arrest, en route to the U.S. to face criminal charges.
The image went viral, along with the Nike gear. On social media, people said search traffic for the Nike Tech fleece had surged, while some called it a perfect Halloween costume.
Others claimed it was sold out, though it remains available in several sizes on Nike’s site, where the jacket is listed at $140 and the pants are listed at $120.
One X user said, “they’re calling it ‘Maduro grey’”
“Nike Tech Fleece. For the gym. For errands. For federal custody,” another user posted.
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Maduro was also wearing blackout glasses to prevent him from seeing as well as noise-canceling headphones to prevent him from hearing.
But together with the Nike tracksuit, the ensemble gave the impression of someone who was enjoying leisure time before being suddenly interrupted.
“Maduro looks like a man who was on Xmas break and wearing his Nike Tech Fleece for a third straight day,” a commenter said.
Trump’s photo of Maduro also launched a flood of memes, including images apparently generated by AI that show the dictator wearing Nike clothes while dancing, singing and playing video games.
Nike didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Maduro’s arrest outfit brought to mind another Latin American dictator with a fondness for tracksuits. The late Fidel Castro often wore Adidas gear later in his life.
While he was famous for wearing military uniforms early during his reign over Cuba, the communist leader switched to athletic wear from top Western brands.
“I still cant believe they caught Maduro wearing the heather grey Nike tech fleece set though,” an X user said. “I guess the tech fleece is the unofficial ‘drug lord tracksuit’ now like the Adidas tracksuit used to be back in the day.”
