(Washington) A member of the U.S. Navy has been arrested in Venezuela, a U.S. official said Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity, at a time when relations between Washington and Caracas are particularly tense.
“A US Navy sailor was detained in Venezuela by that country’s law enforcement,” the source said, without providing further details.
Earlier, US network CNN reported that a US citizen, a member of the US Navy, was arrested on August 30 in the Venezuelan capital, according to four unnamed US officials.
According to one of them, the sailor is being held by the country’s intelligence services.
“We are aware of reports that a U.S. Navy sailor was detained on or about August 30, 2024, by Venezuelan authorities while in Venezuela for personal reasons,” the Pentagon confirmed in a statement.
“The U.S. Navy is reviewing the matter and working closely with the State Department,” he said.
The U.S. State Department advises its citizens against traveling to Venezuela, citing risks related to crime and unjustified detention.
“There is a high risk of unjustified detention of U.S. citizens in Venezuela,” the travel advisory states, noting that U.S. nationals have been detained for several years.
And the “U.S. government is generally not informed of the detention of its nationals in Venezuela and does not have access to U.S. prisoners in that country.”
The arrest comes as the United States, like much of the international community, recently opposed the decision by Venezuela’s Supreme Court to validate the re-election of President Nicolas Maduro in a late July election that the opposition claims it won.
On Monday, U.S. authorities seized a plane belonging to the Venezuelan president, a move Venezuela called an “act of piracy.”