Secretary of State Marco Rubio announces the return of 10 Americans detained in Venezuela

Ten Americans return to the United States after being released from Venezuela, the Secretary of State said on Friday.

“Thanks to President (Donald) Trump, leadership and commitment to the American people, the United States welcomed the ten-he-detained house in Venezuela,” Secretary of State Rubio said in a statement. “Until today, more Americans have been wrongly detained in Venezuela than any other country in the world. It is unacceptable that representatives of the Venezuelan regime have stopped and imprisoned American nationals in very questionable circumstances and without appropriate regular procedure. Each American detained in Venezuela is now free and back in our country of origin.”

Rubio also thanked the State Department, the inter-ages partners and the president of El Salvador Nayib Bukele.

“Our commitment to the American people is clear: we will protect the well-being of American nationals at home and abroad and will not rest until all Americans are detained hostage or unjustly detained worldwide,” he added.

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The Venezuelans that the US government detained and flew to El Salvador several months ago aboard Venezuela at Oscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport in San Luis Talpa, El Salvador. (Presidential Press Office of El Salvador via AP)

He said the United States is also welcoming the “release of political prisoners and Venezuelan detainees who were also released from Venezuelan prisons.

The press release is part of an exchange of prisoners in which Bukele agreed to release hundreds of Venezuelans detained in a maximum security prison in Tecoleca, El Salvador, in exchange for Salvadoral prisoners detained in Venezuela.

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Friday the return of 10 Americans from Venezuela. (Images Kevin Dietsch / Getty)

The United States has sent the Venezuelans to Salvador in March to the Act respecting extraterrestrial enemies of 1798 to expel the alleged members of Tren of Aragua without undergoing immigration procedures. Many families and lawyers of deportees denied gang’s ties.

“Today, we have given all the Venezuelan nationals detained in our country, accused of being part of the criminal organization Tren of Aragua (ADD),” said Bukele. “Many of them face multiple accusations of murder, theft, rape and other serious crimes.”

Bukele added that “the operation is the result of months of negotiations with a tyrannical regime which has long refused to publish one of its most precious negotiation schools: its hostages. However, thanks to the tireless efforts of many officials of the United States and Salvador, and above all, thanks to the control of the height, it was carried out.

The exchange occurs from months after the American Air Force veteran Joseph St. Clair’s was released from Venezuelan care after being detained there for about six months. (Thanks to the St. Clair family)

The special presidential envoy for hostage affairs has published a photo of hostages on social networks as well as the message: ten Americans are their way back of detention in Venezuela! Thanks to @potus @secrubio @usembassyve @ABoehler and many others for your support bringing the Americans home. “”

Christian Casteneda, whose brother Wilbert, a Navy Seal, was arrested in a Caracas hotel room last year, said in a statement: “We prayed for this day for almost a year. My brother is an innocent man who was used as a political pawn by the Maduro regime.”

Lucas Hunter, whose family said he had been kidnapped by Venezuelan border guards in January, was also one of the 10 liberated Americans.

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“We are looking forward to seeing him in person and helping him recover from the test,” said his younger sister Sophie Hunter in a statement.

This comes from months after the American Air Force veteran Joseph St. Clair’s was released from Venezuelan care in May after being detained for about six months.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.