A small clothing company in Maine says its phones have been ringing nonstop after Nicolás Maduro was photographed wearing one of its hoodies following his arrest and transfer to the United States.
According to the NY Post, the former Venezuelan dictator was seen wearing an Origin brand hoodie in a shade called “Patriotic Blue” when he was brought to New York in handcuffs. The image, which quickly spread across social media, shows Maduro flashing two thumbs up while surrounded by DEA agents after landing in the U.S.
The unexpected wardrobe choice has turned the viral moment into an unlikely marketing surge for Origin, a Maine-based apparel company known for its American-made clothing. Company officials say they have received a flood of calls, messages, and online orders since the photo began circulating.
The company turned this into a marketing moment
It remains unclear how Maduro ended up wearing the hoodie. Origin founder Peter Roberts addressed the situation in a tongue-in-cheek video posted online, joking that a federal agent may have provided it.
“Probably a DEA agent slipped this hoodie on him and said, ‘You’re gonna feel the fabric of freedom on American soil,'” Roberts said. “That’s my assumption. I’m taking the liberty to assume.”
Roberts thinks the agents put the hoodie on Maduro because it was cold when they landed in New York. “He definitely gave two thumbs up so I think he liked the fabric,” Roberts said about Maduro.
The company’s CEO said his phone “blew up” as soon as people noticed their logo on Maduro. Origin makes and sells clothing, training gear, and boots. Much like how other world leaders have reacted to Maduro’s capture, the situation quickly became a topic of widespread discussion.
The company quickly used this worldwide attention to promote their products. “Welcome to America. Unfortunately, our ‘patriot blue’ RTX hoodie won’t be shipping till spring. But they are available for pre-order!” Origin wrote on Instagram next to a photo of Maduro in custody.
The Nike sweatsuit Maduro wore when US forces first captured him on Saturday is also selling out quickly. President Trump shared a photo of Maduro in a gray Nike Tech sweatsuit after he was blindfolded, handcuffed, and taken onto a ship over the weekend. Similar to how critics have questioned Trump’s approach to the seizure, the company seized this unexpected moment for business advantage.
After the photo went viral and became part of many internet memes, most sizes of the Nike fleece zip jacket sold out. The jacket costs $140, and only a few sizes were still available on Nike’s website.
Published: Jan 6, 2026 12:51 pm