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The Secretary of State said Friday that 10 Americans have returned to the United States after being released from Venezuelan custody.
“Thanks to the President [Donald] Trump’s leadership and commitment to Americans, the United States welcomes 10 Americans detained in Venezuela,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. It is unacceptable that representatives of the Venezuelan administration arrested and imprisoned American citizens under highly doubtful circumstances without proper legitimate procedures. The Americans who were mistakenly detained in Venezuela are now free to return to our homeland. ”
Rubio also thanked the State Department, interagency partner and President of El Salvador, Naive Buquere.
“Our commitment to the American people is clear. We will protect the well-being of our American people both at home and abroad, and ensure that all Americans who are held hostages or unfairly detained around the world are brought to their homes,” he added.
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The Venezuelan, who was detained by the US government in El Salvador, flew on a plane Friday towards Venezuela at Oscar Alnul Foro Mero International Airport in San Luis Salvador’s San Luis Salpa several months ago. (Presidential Press Office in El Salvador via the AP)
He also said that the United States has “welcome the release of Venezuelan political prisoners and detainees released from Venezuelan prisons. The Trump administration continues to support the restoration of Venezuelan democracy. The use of unfair detention as a tool for political oppression must end.
The release is part of a prisoner swap that Buquere agreed to release hundreds of Venezuelans detained at Tecolca’s largest security prison in El Salvador, in exchange for Salvador prisoners being detained in Venezuela.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the return of 10 Americans from Venezuela on Friday. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The United States sent Venezuelans to El Salvador in March, and after the alien enemy law of 1798, suspects who were allegedly members of Tren de Aragua without undergoing immigration proceedings. Many of the National Nur’s families and lawyers denied gang connections.
“Today, we have handed over all Venezuelan citizens detained in our country, accused of being part of the criminal organization Tren de Aragua (TDA),,” Buquere said. “Many of them face multiple charges of murder, robbery, rape and other serious crimes.”
Bukele added: “The operation is the result of months of negotiations with the tyranny, which has long rejected one of its most valuable negotiation tips: hostages.
The swap comes months after US Air Force veteran Joseph St. Clair was released from Venezuela custody after being detained there for about six months. (Courtesy of the St. Clair Family)
The special presidential envoy on hostage issue posted a photo of the hostages on social media along with a message: 10 Americans are on their way home from detention in Venezuela! Thank you to @potus @secrubio @usembassyve @aboehler and others.
“We prayed for this day for almost a year. My brother is an innocent man who was used as a political pawn by the Maduro regime,” said Christian Castenda, who was arrested last year in a hotel room in Caracas.
Lucas Hunter, whose family said he had been kidnapped as a Venezuelan border guard in January, was also among the 10 Americans released.
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“We can’t wait to meet him in person and help him recover from the ordeal,” his sister Sophie Hunter said in a statement.
This comes months after US Air Force veteran Joseph St. Clair was released from custody in Venezuela after being detained there for about six months.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to the report.
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