Venezuela Releases U.S. Detainees Following U.S. Military Arrest and Capture of Maduro

Multiple American citizens previously detained in Venezuela have been released, the Trump administration announced Tuesday, a development officials described as a step toward improved cooperation with Venezuela’s interim authorities, as reported by the New York Post.

In a statement issued Tuesday evening, the U.S. State Department said, “We welcome the release of detained Americans in Venezuela,” adding, “This is an important step in the right direction by the interim authorities.”

The department did not specify how many U.S. citizens were freed.

A person familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss non-public details, said four Americans were released together on Tuesday, while another was quietly released on Monday.

The releases came after a U.S. military operation earlier this month that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro during a nighttime raid.

Maduro and his wife were transported to New York City, where they appeared in federal court on charges related to drug trafficking and other offenses.

Last week, Jorge Rodríguez, the head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, said a “significant number” of Venezuelan and foreign detainees would be released as a gesture to “seek peace” following the military operation that removed Maduro from power.

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His comments suggested coordination between U.S. and Venezuelan authorities on detainee matters.

Venezuela-based human rights group Foro Penal confirmed that 56 prisoners it identified as being held for political reasons had been freed as of Tuesday evening.

The organization criticized the government for a lack of transparency surrounding the releases, including the identities of those freed.

The Venezuelan government disputed Foro Penal’s count and claimed that 400 prisoners had been released by Tuesday afternoon.

Officials did not provide documentation, timelines, or names, making it difficult for outside observers to determine how many of those released were political detainees versus individuals held on other charges.

Relations between Washington and Caracas have long been strained, but prisoner releases have occasionally served as a limited point of engagement.

In July 2025, Venezuela released ten jailed U.S. citizens and permanent residents in exchange for the return of hundreds of migrants deported to El Salvador under the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

As of this week, U.S. officials have not released a full list of the Americans who were freed, and it remains unclear whether additional U.S. citizens are still being held in Venezuela.

American officials have continued to urge caution for U.S. citizens in the country and previously advised Americans to leave Venezuela amid heightened security concerns following the military operation.

The releases mark one of the few areas of cooperation between the United States and Venezuela’s interim government, standing out amid ongoing political and economic tensions in the region.

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