Washington D.C. – The Wall Street Journal, January 05, 2025
Maduro has turned up the heat on the incoming Trump administration by recently seizing 50 foreigners, several of them American passport holders
Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro has in recent years secured the freedom of his top financier and two of his nephews in prisoner exchanges with the Biden administration.
Now, the regime is stocking up on foreign detainees—including Americans—who analysts say could serve as bargaining chips with the incoming Trump administration and allied governments. More than 50 foreign passport holders have been detained by Venezuela’s security forces since the end of July when the regime began its crackdown on opponents who, along with the U.S., say Maduro stole an election he had actually lost. Most of the detainees are being held on allegations of espionage or terrorism.
