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At Least Five Americans Held in Venezuela as U.S. Weighs ‘Wrongful Detention’ Status for Two

The detentions coincide with a renewed U.S. pressure campaign targeting Nicolás Maduro.

Overview

  • Venezuelan security forces have detained multiple Americans in recent months, according to new reporting.
  • A U.S. official says the State Department may deem two detainees wrongfully held, including 28-year-old New Yorker James Luckey-Lange.
  • Families and reporting identify additional prisoners with U.S. ties, including Aidel Suarez and Venezuelan-American Jonathan Torres Duque.
  • Those currently held reportedly include three Venezuelan-American dual nationals and two U.S. citizens with no known ties to Venezuela.
  • The detentions follow expanded sanctions enforcement, naval deployments, tanker seizures and small-boat strikes that reports say have killed more than 100 people.