Since the United States began pressure against the government of dictator Nicolás Maduro, Venezuelan authorities have arrested several American citizens, some of whom Washington is considering declaring as illegally detained people, the newspaper reported. The New York Timesciting an anonymous official from the South American country. Washington considers that Maduro’s government uses Americans detained in Venezuela as a bargaining chip in its bilateral negotiations.
The arrests have taken place since the US activated a major military mobilization in the Caribbean to combat drug trafficking from Colombia and Venezuela, while at the same time demanding the departure of Nicolás Maduro and his close allies, whom they accuse of leading the Cartel of the Suns.
Some of the detainees face criminal charges that the United States considers legitimate, but President Donald Trump’s administration is considering declaring at least two of those prisoners illegally detained, according to the official.
The same source indicated that among those detained there are three people with dual nationality (Venezuelan and American), as well as two American citizens with no known ties to the South American country.
It is believed that one of the two people Washington could declare an illegally detained individual is a 28-year-old New Yorker named James Luckey-Lange, who was traveling in Venezuela in December.
In the context of this operation, called ‘Spear of the South’, Washington summarily destroyed almost 40 suspected vessels and killed around 110 of their occupants, in addition to ordering the seizure of sanctioned tankers transporting Venezuelan oil, in an attempt to economically suffocate the Venezuelan government.
Shortly after returning to the White House almost a year ago, Trump negotiated with Caracas the release of 17 people who had American nationality or permanent residence in the United States.
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