Venezuela Detains More Americans Amid U.S. Pressure on Maduro
At least five Americans are currently detained in Venezuela, including three Venezuelan-American dual nationals and two U.S. citizens with no known ties to Venezuela.
A U.S. official told The New York Times that Washington is considering designating at least two detainees as wrongfully detained.
These detentions come as the Trump administration increases pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro through stronger sanctions enforcement and an expanded Caribbean military presence.
Earlier in 2025, a U.S. Air Force veteran was released. In July 2025, a prisoner swap freed 10 more Americans and permanent residents, and by mid-2025, at least 16 Americans and permanent residents had been released.
James Luckey-Lange, 28, from Staten Island, New York, is missing after crossing Venezuela’s southern border in early December; he is the son of musician Diane Luckey, known as Q Lazzarus.
Renzo Huamanchumo Castillo, a Peruvian-American, stated he was arrested last year on terrorism charges and was released in the July prisoner swap after months of detention.
Two Americans with U.S. ties remain imprisoned: Aidel Suarez, a U.S. permanent resident born in Cuba, and Jonathan Torres Duque, a Venezuelan-American, according to The New York Times.
The exact number of newly detained Americans has not been publicly disclosed by U.S. officials.
