U.S. Veteran Freed After Nearly Six Months Detained in Venezuela

U.S. Air Force veteran Joseph St Clair has returned home after being held for nearly six months in Venezuela, as per Al Jazeera.

St Clair, a language specialist who was reportedly seeking treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in South America, was detained by Venezuelan authorities in November 2024. His sudden release was announced in a statement by his parents, Scott and Patti St Clair, who said they were “overwhelmed with joy and gratitude.”

The release came after high-level negotiations led by former U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Richard Grenell, who met with Venezuelan officials on the Caribbean island of Antigua earlier this week.

“Joe St Clair is back in America,” Grenell wrote on social media. “This is only possible because [Trump] puts Americans first.”

According to sources cited by Reuters and Bloomberg, Grenell’s discussions with Jorge Rodríguez, president of Venezuela’s National Assembly and a close ally of President Nicolás Maduro, led to a broader agreement—reportedly including a 60-day extension of a key operating license for U.S. oil giant Chevron in Venezuela.

The Chevron license had been set to expire on May 27, after the Trump administration announced its revocation earlier this year, citing Venezuela’s failure to uphold electoral promises under the 2023 Barbados Agreement. Any extension will require formal approval by the U.S. State and Treasury Departments.

Venezuela’s economy remains heavily dependent on oil, despite a prolonged crisis marked by hyperinflation, shortages of basic goods, and mass emigration. The United Nations estimates that nearly 7.9 million Venezuelans have fled the country in recent years.

Although the Biden administration had previously eased sanctions in exchange for democratic commitments, Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election was widely criticized for lacking transparency. While President Maduro claimed victory, opposition groups released their own vote tallies indicating their candidate had won by a large margin. The announcement triggered nationwide protests and a violent crackdown by security forces.

During his first term, Trump adopted a hardline approach to Maduro’s regime, imposing tough sanctions and offering a $15 million reward for information leading to the Venezuelan president’s arrest. However, since returning to office in January 2025, Trump has signaled a shift in tone, emphasizing diplomacy to secure the release of detained Americans.

In January, Grenell met with Maduro in Caracas as part of a broader mission to repatriate U.S. citizens held in Venezuela. That visit reportedly led to the release of six Americans.

As of March, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio estimated that nine U.S. nationals remained in custody in Venezuela. It is unclear whether Tuesday’s agreement included terms for additional releases.

In recent months, Venezuela has also begun accepting deportation flights from the U.S., a shift that may play into Trump’s plans for mass deportations during his second term.