(Caracas) The American soldier detained since the end of August in Venezuela was arrested because he “entered [dans le pays] without any type of document” or “means of subsistence,” Attorney General Tarek William Saab said Thursday, without giving further details.
“He entered without any type of documentation, without any means of subsistence for what he came to do in the country […] “That’s what I can reveal, I can’t say anything more,” Saab said at a news conference.
He said the soldier had “dual nationality” of the United States and Mexico, assuring that the “primary nationality of this citizen [est] Mexican.” “We are always vigilant and attentive to ensure that the procedures are regular,” he concluded.
A member of the US Navy, the serviceman was arrested on August 30 in Caracas, according to the Pentagon. “We are aware of information that a US Navy sailor was taken into custody on August 30 […] by Venezuelan authorities, while he was in Venezuela for personal reasons,” the US Department of Defense explained.
The arrest comes as the United States, which does not recognize Nicolas Maduro’s re-election, seized a plane belonging to the Venezuelan president. The seizure was described as an act of “piracy” by Venezuela.
The U.S. State Department advises its citizens against traveling to Venezuela, citing risks related to crime and unjustified detention.
Also read “US Marine Arrested by Authorities”