Venezuelans who the U.S. government detained and flew to El Salvador several months ago board a plane Friday bound for Venezuela at the Oscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport in San Luis Talpa, El Salvador. (El Salvador's presidential press office via AP)
He said the U.S. also welcomes the "release of Venezuelan political prisoners and detainees that were also released from Venezuelan prisons. The Trump Administration continues to support the restoration of democracy in Venezuela. The regime’s use of unjust detention as a tool of political repression must end. We reiterate our call for the unconditional release of remaining unjustly and arbitrarily detained political prisoners and foreign nationals."
The release is part of a prisoner swap in which Bukele agreed to release hundreds of Venezuelans being held in a maximum-security prison in Tecoluca, El Salvador, in return for Salvadoran prisoners being held in Venezuela.
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The swap comes months after U.S. Air Force veteran Joseph St. Clair's was released from Venezuelan custody after being held there for around six months. (Courtesy of the St. Clair family)
The Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs posted a photo of the hostages on social media along with the message: Ten Americans are are their way home from detention in Venezuela! Thanks to @POTUS @SecRubio @usembassyve @aboehler and many others for your support bringing Americans home."
Christian Casteneda, whose brother Wilbert, a Navy SEAL, was arrested in a Caracas hotel room last year, said in a statement: "We have 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 was kidnapped by Venezuelan border guards in January, was also among the 10 Americans released.
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"We cannot wait to see him in person and help him recover from the ordeal," his younger sister Sophie Hunter said in a statement.
This comes months after U.S. Air Force veteran Joseph St. Clair's was released from Venezuelan custody in May after being held there for around six months.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/americans-detained-venezuela-freed-returning-home-after-prisoner-exchange