Inside MDC Brooklyn: The Federal Jail Near Boro Park Draws Attention After Maduro’s Detention

By Y.M. Lowy

With Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro now being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, many local residents are learning more about MDC Brooklyn and its role as one of the country’s largest federal detention facilities.

MDC Brooklyn is a large federal detention facility located in Sunset Park, just a short drive from Boro Park. It opened in January 1994 and was originally designed to hold about 1,000 inmates who were awaiting trial or court proceedings in the Eastern District of New York. Over time, the population steadily grew. By 2019, the facility was holding roughly 1,600 inmates.

In November 1999, a second building was opened next door to house sentenced inmates waiting to be transferred to long-term federal prisons. With that expansion, MDC Brooklyn became the largest federal detention center in the country, at times holding close to 3,000 inmates combined.

The facility functions mainly as a holding center. Many inmates stay there temporarily while awaiting trial, sentencing, or transfer. While some detainees face serious federal charges such as international drug trafficking or terrorism, many others are held on lesser offenses.

MDC Brooklyn became nationally known in early 2019 after a severe crisis during a winter cold wave. A power outage left more than 1,600 inmates without reliable heat or electricity for nearly a week as temperatures dropped into the single digits. Inmates reported freezing conditions, health issues, and lack of basic services. A Justice Department investigation later found that the situation had been seriously mishandled. Some inmates later said those who protested faced harsh discipline.

In recent years, the jail has continued to face scrutiny. In 2024, two inmates were killed in separate incidents involving other prisoners, and several jail employees have been charged with taking bribes or bringing contraband into the facility.

MDC Brooklyn has long housed high-profile detainees. Maduro’s detention places him among a list of well-known figures who have passed through the complex over the decades. He is currently being held alongside more than 1,300 other inmates as federal proceedings move forward.