Last week, a Navy sailor was detained in Caracas, Venezuela, while traveling on personal property.
Navy officials confirmed to Fox News that the sailor, whose name has not been released, was detained Saturday and remains in custody.
The official also said the crew were on a personal trip and were not authorized to travel to Venezuela. It was unclear why the crew were detained.
The detention of the sailors comes as Venezuela is in the grip of political turmoil.
President Maduro: “The people are cowering and silent” due to crackdown on political opponents after fraudulent election
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro delivered a speech in support of his reelection to government supporters gathered at the presidential palace on August 28, 2024, one month after the presidential election in Caracas. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubilos)
Earlier last month, Maria Oropesa, a leading figure in Venezuela's opposition movement, live-streamed her arrest as she was taken from her home in Portuguesa.
During the broadcast, security officials from Venezuela's General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence forcibly entered Oropesa's home without probable cause or warrant.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's enforcers confiscated her cell phone. Instagram Stream, “I'm not a criminal. I'm just a citizen who wants a different country,” she said in a live broadcast. Oropeza's whereabouts have not been reported since.
Hours before his arrest, Oropesa, an opposition activist and lawyer, criticized the widespread and escalating crackdown in Venezuela over the past month, which he called a witch hunt against politicians following hotly contested elections.
Maduro claimed victory in Venezuela's July 28 election by more than one million votes.
US and Brazil to hold new elections in Venezuela despite government and opposition refusals
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro held a press conference on July 31, 2024, three days after his disputed re-election. (AP Photo/Mathias Delacroix)
President Maduro, in power since 2013, was seeking a third six-year term.
Meanwhile, the main opposition coalition, Vente Venezuela, has accused the president of trying to steal the vote.
The Vente Venezuela campaign released records showing opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez won by a margin of more than 2 to 1. Gonzalez, a key opposition leader, and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado have both disappeared since the vote.
Maduro's victory sparked protests across Venezuela and prompted the government to violently crack down, with security forces arresting more than 2,000 demonstrators, many of whom were sent to torture camps, including Oropesa.
Venezuelans will continue to fight for democracy. They have no choice.
Maduro's plane was seen parked on a runway in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after being seized by US authorities and flown out of the Dominican Republic. (WFOR)
On Monday, the United States seized a plane owned by President Maduro in the Dominican Republic.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) flew Maduro's plane back to the United States on Monday morning, landing it in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he is now in US custody, a US official told Fox News after CNN first reported the news.
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The plane, valued at $13 million, is a Dassault Falcon 900-EX and its seizure was the result of a joint investigation between HSI and the Department of Commerce.
Fox News' Daniel Wallace, Bill Melugin and Kayla Cora contributed to this report.
