Rapper 6ix9ine Leaves Jail, Flaunts SpongeBob Plush Signed by Nicolás Maduro

Rapper 6ix9ine is out of federal custody again, and in true Tekashi fashion, his return to freedom came with a headline few could have predicted. Within minutes of his release Friday, the controversial artist showed off a SpongeBob SquarePants plush toy he claims was autographed behind bars by Nicolás Maduro.

"Look look, Nicolás Maduro, April 2, 2026, Venezuela," the artist said as he was showing the signature to a man who went to pick him up at the jail's door. "Brooklyn MDC," he said showing the exit of the jail in the video.

The rapper, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, completed a three-month sentence tied to violations of his supervised release, part of the fallout from his earlier racketeering case. His release was quickly turned into a spectacle on social media, where he appeared energized and eager to reclaim attention.

In a video posted shortly after leaving the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center, 6ix9ine can be seen celebrating his freedom while holding the cartoon plushie.

While The Latin Times hasn't been able to confirm that the signature on the toy is actually Maduro's, 6ix9ine had expressed his "excitement" to be in the same jail as Maduro and said he wanted to "dance" with him.

That overlap has fueled online speculation and memes, with fans and critics alike questioning how the two figures could have crossed paths.

6ix9ine's latest stint in jail stems from a pattern that has followed him for years. After gaining fame with hits like Gummo and cultivating a persona built on provocation, the rapper became entangled in a sweeping federal case involving the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods. He later cooperated with prosecutors, receiving a reduced sentence, but continued to face legal trouble tied to probation violations, including drug possession and an assault incident.

This most recent sentence was handed down after authorities found controlled substances at his South Florida residence and documented additional violations. Even before reporting to prison in January, 6ix9ine had turned the process into content, livestreaming his surrender with internet personalities.

Nicolás Maduro was transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn in early January 2026 after being captured in a U.S. military operation and flown to New York to face federal drug trafficking and weapons charges, according to multiple reports. He is being held there alongside a mix of high-profile detainees, including his wife Cilia Flores and Luigi Mangione, who is accused in the killing of a UnitedHealthcare executive.

The facility, which houses roughly 1,300 inmates awaiting trial or sentencing, has also held or currently includes figures such as R. Kelly, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Ghislaine Maxwell, Sam Bankman-Fried, and cartel leaders like Rafael Caro Quintero and Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, underscoring its reputation as one of the most high-profile federal lockups in the country.