A U.S. Navy sailor was among the 10 U.S. citizens released in the exchange on Friday.
A group of 10 Americans freed in a hostage exchange with Venezuela included a U.S. Navy sailor and a water sports fan, reports say.
When contacted for comment, the U.S. State Department told Newsweek on Saturday that for privacy reasons, the individuals would not be identified nor their cases disclosed.
However, a statement to Newsweek by the Foley Foundation, which advocates for captives held overseas, named four of the U.S. nationals who had been held for months in the South American country. Hostage Aid Worldwide named another two U.S. nationals.
The group was exchanged for more than 250 Venezuelans deported from the U.S. and flown in March to El Salvador’s high-security prison.Why It Matters
The complicated deal involving three countries gives Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro a diplomatic coup, helps U.S. President Donald Trump in his goal of bringing home Americans jailed abroad and offers a political boost to Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, who proposed the exchange.What To Know
On Friday, Venezuela released 10 jailed U.S. citizens and permanent residents in exchange for migrants deported by the United States to El Salvador in March under the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
Bukele said El Salvador had handed over all the Venezuelan nationals in its custody, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that the Americans were being repatriated.
The Foley Foundation named four American citizens: Wilbert Castaneda, who had been in custody for 325 days; Jorge Marcelo Vargas, in prison for 304 days; Renzo Castillo, in prison for 299 days; and Lucas Hunter, in prison for 192 days.
