A US Navy sailor has been detained in Venezuela, according to four US officials familiar with the matter.
The sailor, a US citizen, was taken into custody on August 30 in Caracas by the Venezuelan intelligence agency SEBIN.
The incident occurs during a time of heightened tensions between the US and Venezuela, following the controversial reelection of authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro in July.
Protests erupted in the country, resulting in at least 11 deaths and hundreds of detentions.
The US has a history of strained relations with Venezuela, and this latest detention raises concerns about the safety of US citizens in the country.
The State Department advises Americans against traveling to Venezuela, warning of a high risk of wrongful detention.
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The sailor’s detention is not the first instance of US citizens being held in Venezuela.
In 2022, the Biden administration secured the release of nine Americans, including the “Citgo 6,” after five years of detention.
Just last December, six wrongfully detained Americans and four others were released from Venezuelan custody.
The US Navy is working closely with the State Department to investigate the sailor’s detention, and officials are tight-lipped about the details.
“We are aware of reports that a US Navy Sailor was detained on or about August 30, 2024, by Venezuelan law enforcement authorities while on personal travel to Venezuela,” a defense official said.
As the situation unfolds, one thing is clear: the detention of a US service member in Venezuela has the potential to further escalate tensions between the two nations.
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