US President Donald Trump’s envoy, Richard Grenellhe said on Friday that he was returning to the United States with six US citizens after meeting with the Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro In Caracas.

Trump government officials had stated earlier on Friday that one of Grenel’s main goals for the visit was to secure the liberation of Americans held in the country.

Grenell did not name the six men, who appear with him on a plane in a photo he posted online. They were dressed in blue clothes used by the Venezuelan prison system.

‘We are high and We head home with these 6 American citizens »; Grenell published in X. “As soon as they talked to @realdonaldtrump and they couldn’t stop thanking him.”

Trump welcomed the movement in his own post, saying that Grenell brought “Six hostages at home from Venezuela”.

It is not clear exactly how many Americans were held by Venezuela, but Venezuelan officials have spoken publicly for at least nine.

Maduro officials accused the most of terrorism and said that some were of a high level of “mercenaries”. The Venezuelan government regularly accuses opposition members and foreign prisoners of conspiracy with the US for terrorism. US officials have always denied any conspiracy.

“The American hostages held in Venezuela … must be released immediately”, stated earlier on Friday Maurizio Claver-CaroneUS Special Envoy for Latin America, adding that the Grenhel-Maduro meeting “It wasn’t a negotiation in return for anything.”

At the end of 2023, the Venezuelan government released dozens of prisoners, including 10 Americans, after months of negotiations, while the US released a close ally of Maduro.

Maduro and Grenel had a discussion at the Presidential Palace on immigration, sanctions and Americans held in South America countrythe Venezuelan government said in a statement earlier on Friday.

The two countries have a full of recent history characterized by dissolved relationships, sanctions and categories for a coup.

But they share their interest in many outstanding bilateral issues, including the license that allows American oil chevron CVX.n to be active in Venezuela.

“The meeting took place with mutual respect and various issues of interest were discussed for both countries”The statement said, adding that “a topic of discussion was American citizens involved in a crime within the territory (Venezuela)” and that Grenell and Maduro agreed that they should turn a new page in their relationships.

‘Grenell’s visit does not mean that the United States recognizes Maduro As a legal leader of Venezuela »; The White House spokesman said earlier on Friday Caroline Levit.

He said Grenell also focused on ensuring that 400 members of the Tren de Aragua gang held in the US would be returned to Venezuela.

An agreement on Tren de Aragua’s deportations was “non-negotiable,” Claver-Carone said.

Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek Saab He said last week that the gang had been dismantled in Venezuela in 2023, but that he was willing to resume legal cooperation with the US to issue members of the gang.

Sanctions, elections and immigrants

The government of former US president Joe Biden He brought back wide penalties for oil after saying that Maduro did not keep promises of free presidential election and later increased rewards for arresting or condemning leaders, including Maduro, leaving Trump’s limited options for further sanctions.

Maduro’s victory with the government’s support in the July 2024 elections is challenged by the opposition, international observers and many countries, including the United States.

The Maduro government has always rejected sanctions from the United States and others, saying that are illegal measures that are equivalent to a ‘economic war’ designed to “amputate” Venezuela.

The Financial Times reported on Friday that Chevron is trying to protect a special US license allowing it to operate in Venezuela.

Chevron’s CEO, Mike Wirert, He told the newspaper that the company would work with the White House after the Foreign Minister Mark Rubio He said the license should be reviewed and Trump said the US would probably stop buying oil from Venezuela.

In the meantime, Trump has begun a sweeping repression of immigration, promising mass deportations.

About 600,000 Venezuelans in the United States were eligible for deportation suspensions granted by the Biden government, but the US Secretary of State for Christie Noemsaid it would cut the duration of the protection.