Tensions Boil Over: Venezuela Detains U.S. Citizens
At least five Americans have been detained in Venezuela as U.S. pressure on President Nicolás Maduro intensifies, raising fears of a growing diplomatic showdown.
According to a U.S. official familiar with the matter, Venezuelan security forces have detained at least five Americans in recent months, as the U.S. has intensified its pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The official said the circumstances of the individual cases vary, and some may involve drug trafficking. The official added that U.S. officials are still gathering information about what the Americans were doing in Venezuela and what they were doing at the time of their detention.
The official said Trump administration officials believe the Maduro government is detaining Americans to create leverage against the U.S., as the pressure campaign against the Venezuelan leader — which has included U.S. attacks on drug boats, a CIA raid on a Venezuelan port facility, and a recent oil blockade — has intensified in recent months.
This tactic mirrors that of Russia, a longtime ally of Venezuela, which has detained several Americans on Russian soil in recent years to use as leverage in Moscow's strained relations with the U.S.
The New York Times first reported on the recently detained Americans.
The State Department did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump administration officials have refrained from saying they are actively seeking regime change in Venezuela, but they have accused Maduro of being illegitimate and a drug trafficker. The administration has been increasing pressure on Maduro, including a "blockade" of sanctioned oil tankers and other financial strategies.
In December, the State Department announced two rounds of sanctions against members of Maduro's family, targeting three of Maduro's nephews, his sister-in-law, and other relatives. In December, the U.S. launched its first attack on a ground target in Venezuela, with a CIA drone strike targeting a port facility.
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“It’s clear that the current situation with the current Venezuelan government is untenable for the United States,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a press conference in December, when asked about comments from the White House chief of staff that Trump “wanted to keep blowing up boats until Maduro gave up.”
According to human rights activists, hundreds of people are imprisoned as political prisoners in Venezuela, some of whom were detained after the 2024 election, which Maduro claimed to have won, but which independent observers said was undemocratic.
Venezuelan rights groups said dozens of people were released from a Venezuelan prison on Thursday. According to Alfredo Romero, head of the rights group Foro Penal, none of them were American.
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