Five US citizens and five US permanent residents held by the Venezuelan regime on dubious grounds were released Friday in a swap for over 250 Venezuelans imprisoned in El Salvador following their deportation from the United States.
The exchange secured the release of all known Americans held by strongman Nicolas Maduro’s regime, which until Friday had more Americans labeled wrongfully detained by the US State Department than any other country in the world.
The ten men had been arbitrarily arrested in 2024 and 2025 under vague or fabricated charges widely seen as pretexts for hostage diplomacy.
Among those freed:
- Lucas Hunter, a dual US–French citizen, was seized in January 2025 during a windsurfing trip near the Colombian border, despite having turned back at a checkpoint.
- Jonathan Pagan Gonzalez, arrested in October 2024 while crossing the Rafael Urdaneta Bridge in western Venezuela, was accused of infiltrating religious groups.
- Fabian Buglione Reyes, a US permanent resident originally from Uruguay, was arrested at a checkpoint the same month.
- Renzo Huamanchumo, detained in September 2024 while visiting from Colombia, was accused of plotting against the Maduro regime.
- Jorge Marcelo Vargas, arrested that same month, was accused of photographing oil refineries.
- Wilbert Castaneda, a US Navy SEAL, was detained in August 2024 while on vacation and accused of leading a CIA-linked plot.
Having traded away its American detainees, the regime is certain to replenish its pile of bargaining chips by arresting more US citizens on trumped up grounds.
Other foreigners also are at risk.
Americans and other foreigners held in Venezuelan prisons have described horrific conditions, including beatings, use of pepper-spray and extended isolation in concrete cells.
Some have reported psychological abuse.
Maduro’s motive for prisoner swap was to gain relief from painful US economic sanctions, particularly those targeting Venezuela’s vital oil sector.
On 31 January, six Americans were released following a rare face-to-face meeting between a Trump administration envoy and Maduro.
With no end in sight to the US-Venezuela standoff, he has every incentive to continue detaining Americans arbitrarily.
Travel should not be undertaken to Venezuela at this time.
