CNN
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A US soldier was arrested in Venezuela, according to four US officials familiar with the matter.
The soldier, a U.S. Navy sailor, is a U.S. citizen and was arrested in Caracas on August 30, according to officials. One of the officials said he was being held by the Venezuelan intelligence agency SEBIN.
A defense official told CNN: “We are aware of reports that a U.S. Navy sailor was detained by Venezuelan law enforcement on or about August 30, 2024 while on a personal trip to Venezuela. The U.S. Navy is investigating and is working closely with the State Department. For further questions, we refer you to the State Department.”
Another official said the soldier was not traveling to the country on official business or on authorized leave. The reason for his trip is unclear.
“We are aware of reports of the detention of an individual in Venezuela,” a State Department spokesman said.
“We have no further information to share at this time,” the spokesman said.
The White House said on Wednesday that it was “in contact” with Venezuelan authorities to obtain further information on the situation, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.
“We are, of course, in contact with the Venezuelan authorities, as you see fit, to try to get more intelligence and information on this,” Kirby said at the White House press conference on Wednesday.
The State Department advises Americans against traveling to Venezuela, warning that there is “a high risk of unlawful detention of U.S. citizens.”
“Security forces detain U.S. citizens for up to five years,” the travel warning for Venezuela states. “The U.S. government is generally not informed of the detention of U.S. citizens in Venezuela and is not granted access to U.S. citizens detained there.”
CNN has contacted the Venezuelan government for comment.
The detention of a U.S. citizen came at a time of severe unrest in Venezuela after the opposition and several Latin American leaders refused to recognize the re-election of authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro in July. Protests against the vote erupted in Venezuela, with at least 11 people reportedly killed and hundreds more arrested.
Just this week, the US seized Maduro’s plane in the Dominican Republic. CNN first reported on the seizure, which marked a significant development in already strained relations between the US and Venezuela. A US official told CNN the seizure “sends a message all the way to the top.”
“The seizure of a foreign head of state’s aircraft is unheard of in criminal matters. We are sending a clear message here that no one is above the law, no one is above the reach of U.S. sanctions,” the official said.
The most recent detention of a U.S. soldier came about two years after nine Americans – including the “Citgo 6” – were brought home from Venezuela by the Biden administration in 2022 after being detained in the country for five years. In December 2023, the U.S. secured the release of six wrongfully imprisoned Americans and four other Americans held in Venezuela.
CNN’s Jennifer Hansler and Samantha Waldenberg contributed reporting.
This story is brand new and will be updated.
