Venezuela on Saturday released seven imprisoned Americans, including five oil executives, in exchange for the release of two relatives of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, US officials said.
The exchange includes Citgo Petroleum executives held for years, as well as US Navy veteran Matthew Heath and another US citizen named Osman Khan. They were exchanged for two nephews of Maduro’s wife, previously convicted of drug-related charges.
The release is the result of secret talks that began in March between Washington and the socialist government of Maduro, which is under strict American sanctions, including in the energy sector. It comes at a time when Washington is under heavy pressure to do more to secure the release of dozens of US citizens detained abroad, including in Russia, where basketball player Brittney Griner is being held.
“Today, we celebrate that seven families will be whole once again. To all the families who are still grieving and separated from their loved ones who were wrongfully detained — know that we remain dedicated to securing their release,” US President Joe Biden said. , in a statement.
Maduro’s government said two Venezuelan youths “unfairly” detained in the US were released, as well as a group of US citizens who were subject to Venezuelan legal proceedings. According to a statement in state media, the Americans were released on humanitarian grounds.
The prisoner exchange, the biggest since Biden took office in January 2020, took place in “a country between Venezuela and the United States” after the men arrived on separate planes, a senior American official said.
The Americans were all in stable health and on their way home, while the two Venezuelans were also returning to their country, Biden administration officials told reporters.
Citgo, a subsidiary of Venezuelan oil company PDVSA in the US, said it was grateful to leaders in Washington who made the release possible.
Biden approved the exchange weeks ago in what he said was “a difficult decision, a painful decision” that the release of the two Venezuelans was essential to securing the Americans’ release.
The prisoner exchange did not change US policy toward Venezuela, another senior administration official said. Washington maintains tough Trump-era sanctions against Caracas, and the US government has said it will consider easing the measures if Maduro returns to negotiations with the Venezuelan opposition that he suspended last year.
Citgo, based in Houston — held in Venezuela in 2017 — were Tomeu Vadell, José Luis Zambrano, Alirio Zambrano, Jorge Toledo and José Pereira.
Also released was Heath, a former Marine hospitalized after what his family said was a suicide attempt in June. He has been in detention since 2020 on terrorism charges, which he has denied.
Khan was identified as a Florida man arrested in January.
In exchange, the United States freed two of Venezuelan First Lady Cilia Flores’ nephews, Franqui Flores and Efrain Antonio Campo Flores. The two were convicted in 2016 on US charges of trying to run a multi-million cocaine business to obtain a large sum of money to help the Maduro family stay in power.
At least four other Americans are still being held in Venezuela, including two former US Army Special Forces members Luke Denman and Airan Berry, arrested in 2020 in connection with a failed operation aimed at toppling Maduro.
With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
