After images of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro giving a thumbs-up in an American-made hoodie ignited a social media firestorm, the U.S. designer behind the garment spoke out Sunday to explain how the clothing ended up on the authoritarian leader.

President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social early Saturday that U.S. forces captured and removed Nicolás Maduro during a large-scale strike against Venezuela, later releasing images showing Maduro smiling, giving a thumbs-up, and wearing a “Patriot Blue” Origin hoodie as he posed with Drug Enforcement Administration agents after arriving in New York. In a YouTube video, Pete Roberts, founder and CEO of Origin, said his phone “blew up” after Maduro’s images went viral.

“When my phone blew up last night, I had to figure out if this was AI or not, and I decided very quickly it was not. And then I had to start putting the pieces together. Why is this dude wearing an Origin Patriot Blue hoodie? The irony in this is that this wave, this logo here on the shirt Maduro is wearing, this is the wave of freedom,” Roberts said.

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Roberts traced Origin’s roots to 2012, when he and friends built a small factory in rural Maine using salvaged equipment, aiming to restore jobs that vanished as production moved overseas. Since then, Origin has expanded with multiple factories in Maine and North Carolina, producing footwear, denim, and technical apparel entirely in the United States.

“So when we started Origin, and we built this factory in 2012, our mission was to breathe life back into the dream. And so when I say it’s the wave of freedom, it’s the reclamation of our machines and the reshoring and the restoring of our communities and gaining the knowledge we once had to be makers,” Roberts added.

Roberts said Maduro likely donned the hoodie simply because of the cold weather after arriving in New York.

“I think it’s really curious and interesting. Because what I believe happened is he landed in New York, and it was very cold outside, and what they did is they put on a hoodie on him that has a mineral in it for cooling. So maybe they wanted him to feel comfortable or a little uncomfortable. I’m not quite sure,” Roberts said. “But he definitely gave two thumbs up. So I think he liked the fabric. And of course, the irony in this whole thing is that the thing we’ve been fighting against and on a serious note, uh, we’ve been fighting against the hollowing out of our manufacturing communities here in New England and in America.”

The U.S. Army’s elite special operations unit, Delta Force, captured Maduro on Saturday and transported him to the United States to face four criminal charges, including narco-terrorism. Trump said at Mar-a-Lago that the United States will administer Venezuela until a “judicious” transition occurs.

Democratic lawmakers said Trump lacked the authority to launch the operation without Congress, while Venezuelan expatriates across South Florida poured into the streets, celebrating Maduro’s downfall and praising Trump’s move.

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