This year, Venezuela detained three US citizens on charges of illegal entry into the country, the Associated Press reported.
Venezuelan authorities arrested 44-year-old lawyer Evin Hernandez from California and 52-year-old programmer Gerel Kennimore from Texas last March in two separate operations in the state of Tachira in western Venezuela, according to the agency.
Agency sources indicate that Hernandez resides in Los Angeles, while Kennimore has resided in Colombia since 2019.
And before that, in January last year, another American was arrested when he tried to enter Venezuela from Colombia.
The Associated Press did not release his name at the request of the citizen’s family.
The agency notes that the arrest of two people in March came after the release of other Americans by the Venezuelan authorities as part of a prisoner exchange deal.
The US State Department confirmed the arrest of 3 citizens, calling for their immediate release.
It is noteworthy that the number of Americans detained in Venezuela was 8 people before the disclosure of information about three new citizens. Among them are employees of oil companies and former US military.
This comes as the administration of US President Joe Biden is reviewing the Donald Trump administration’s policy on Venezuela and easing pressure on the government of Nicolás Maduro as some US sanctions against Venezuelan officials have been lifted.
Source: Associated Press.