The Biden administration has negotiated a deal with Venezuela to secure the release of 30 prisoners, including 10 Americans being held in Venezuela, in exchange for the release of one of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s closest allies. The Maduro ally in question is Colombian businessman Alex Saab, who was accused of funneling nearly $350 million out of Venezuela through the United States by bribing Venezuelan government officials.
The White House confirmed that the 10 Americans are on their way home, with six of the detainees, including Joseph Cristella, Eyvin Hernandez, Jerrel Kenemore, and Savoi Wright, having been wrongfully detained. As part of the deal, Venezuela handed over Leonard Francis, also known as “Fat Leonard,” a former military contractor involved in a bribery and corruption scandal, who was arrested and brought back to the United States.
In addition to the American detainees, the Venezuelan regime agreed to release 20 Venezuelan political prisoners and suspend the arrest orders of three other Venezuelans. This swap was part of a broader ongoing deal between Caracas and Washington to normalize relations, with President Joe Biden viewing the recent agreement on an electoral roadmap for competitive presidential elections in 2024 as a positive step.
The prisoner swap talks were mediated by Qatar, which was asked to improve relations between the United States and Venezuela. The Venezuelan government expressed joy in Mr. Saab’s release, stating that he was unjustly detained in the U.S. jail and was the victim of U.S. retaliation for his diplomatic efforts. The Biden administration has emphasized that they are holding the Venezuelan regime accountable to meet its commitments, and this deal could mean progress in developing diplomatic relations between the countries.