Venezuelan law enforcement authorities detained a U.S. Navy sailor on Aug. 30 while he was visiting Caracas, Venezuela, U.S. and defense officials confirmed to multiple media outlets on Wednesday.
The navy sailors Reportedly He is being held by the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) of the socialist Maduro regime.
“We are aware of reports that a U.S. Navy sailor was detained by Venezuelan law enforcement authorities on or around Aug. 30, 2024, while on personal travel to Venezuela,” a defense official told CNN. “The U.S. Navy is investigating this matter and is working closely with the State Department, and we refer any additional questions to the State Department.”
Another US official who spoke to CNN said the sailor was not on official business or approved leave when he traveled to Venezuela.
Several U.S. officials and senior Pentagon officials said The arrested sailor, a petty officer first class, was a former Navy SEAL assigned to the West Coast team, according to CBS News. An official said the arrested sailor was “no longer authorized” to wear his Trident, which denotes a qualified SEAL, according to CBS News.
Dave Madden, a former Navy SEAL and Afghanistan veteran, told CBS News that it's “unusual” for a SEAL to have their Trident insignia stripped.
“It happens every now and then, but it's pretty rare,” Madden said, suggesting the SEALs likely had to have done “something pretty egregious” to deserve such punishment.
U.S. State Department continues to issue travel advisory for Venezuela caveat The notice informs Americans planning to travel to Venezuela that “U.S. nationals face a high risk of being unjustly detained in Venezuela.”
“Security forces have detained U.S. citizens for up to five years. The U.S. government is generally not notified of the detention of U.S. citizens in Venezuela and is not permitted to visit U.S. citizens detained in Venezuela,” the travel advisory states.
White House Press Secretary John Kirby Confirmed The Navy sailor was arrested during a press conference on Wednesday.
“It is my understanding that this individual was on some sort of personal trip and was not on official business,” Kirby said. “Obviously, we are in contact with Venezuelan authorities to try to gain more knowledge and information on this matter.”
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller Confirmed He spoke about the Navy sailor's detention at a press conference on Wednesday.
We are closely monitoring the situation and seeking additional information, but at this time we have no further comment. As you know, when it comes to individuals who are detained overseas, I cannot say much from this podium due to privacy concerns. But this is an issue that we are aware of and we are seeking further information.
“There are some things we know about this arrest that I'm not at liberty to discuss,” Miller said, emphasizing that he is “restricted from speaking about the case.”
The detention of the U.S. Navy sailors comes amid rising tensions between the United States and Venezuela's socialist government, about a month after a sham presidential election on July 28 that has been widely questioned by the international community and which socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro claims he “won” fraudulently.
The United States is among the countries that have not recognized Maduro's victory as legitimate. At the time of writing, Venezuela's top electoral authority, loyal to Maduro, has not released voter data or documentation supporting the victory. Venezuela's Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), loyal to Maduro, has: The verdict was given In late August, to “support” Maduro's “victory.”
Venezuela's opposition disputed the results, Published One Website Attached are copies of more than 80% of the election vote tallies collected from local polling stations. The published results showed that opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez won in a landslide victory over Maduro.
In the United States and other countries, e.g. Argentina, Have Recognized Gonzales is the winner of the fake election.
The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden Promote The idea of inviting President Maduro to hold “free and fair” elections in Venezuela Reportedly It is preparing to impose sanctions on 15 senior Maduro officials and visa restrictions on 34 of their relatives in response to Maduro's claims of a fraudulent election victory.
According to Bloomberg, the new sanctions will target election officials and lawmakers, as well as members of SEBIN and the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM), who have been at the forefront of Maduro's brutality. persecution Post-election protests and anti-establishment movements.
On Monday, U.S. officials Confiscated An investigation into the $13 million luxury plane used by President Maduro from the Dominican Republic found that the Maduro regime purchased it through a Caribbean-based shell company, violating U.S. sanctions. CNN Spanish Reported A second plane linked to President Maduro was also spotted in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday.
