A US official familiar with the matter told CNN that investigations are ongoing into what the US citizens were doing in Venezuela at the time of their arrests, adding that some cases may involve drug smuggling allegations.
Venezuelan authorities have detained multiple American citizens since the Trump administration launched an intensified military campaign and economic pressure against Nicolas Maduro’s government, The New York Times reported. The detentions come amid heightened US military operations in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific that began in September.
According to the report, those detained include three dual nationals holding both Venezuelan and US passports, as well as two American citizens who do not appear to have direct ties to Venezuela. A US official told the NYT that the circumstances vary, with some detainees potentially facing legitimate criminal charges.
At the same time, the US administration is weighing whether to formally designate at least two of the Americans as wrongfully detained, the official said.
Neither the US State Department nor the US Embassy in Colombia, which handles Venezuelan affairs, commented on the detentions.
A US official familiar with the matter told CNN that investigations are ongoing into what the US citizens were doing in Venezuela at the time of their arrests, adding that some cases may involve drug smuggling allegations.
President Donald Trump has defended the military escalation as necessary to stem the flow of drugs into the US, describing the effort as part of an “armed conflict” with drug cartels. US authorities have also charged Maduro with narco-terrorism.
In recent months, the US has intensified military strikes on vessels it says are involved in drug trafficking to disrupt narcotics routes and cutting the flow of illegal drugs into the country. US military forces have carried out more than 30 strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since September.
88 RELEASED AFTER POST-ELECTION PROTESTS
In a separate development, Venezuela’s government also released 88 more people detained during protests that followed the country’s July 2024 election, marking a second mass release in two weeks as pressure mounts from the United States on President Nicols Maduro’s administration.
The New Year’s Day release follows the freeing of 99 detainees on December 26, taking the total number of people released to 187 over the past fortnight.
“These actions are part of the comprehensive review process of cases ordered by President Nicols Maduro,” the government said in a statement.
With inputs from agencies
