More U.S. citizens are being “held “wrongfully detained” Venezuelan prisons than any other country, the U.S. State Department said as it issued a travel alert for the country this week.
“U.S. citizens in Venezuela face a significant and growing risk of wrongful detention. More U.S. nationals are currently wrongfully detained in Venezuela than in any other country,” the State Department said in a Tuesday release.
Citing concerns about detainments without due process and harsh conditions “including torture,” officials warned Americans not to travel to Venezuela “for any reason.”
“Dual citizenship, a Venezuelan visa, past travel to Venezuela, or a job in Venezuela does not protect U.S. national travelers. Every American is at risk of being detained by [Venezuelan President Nicolas] Maduro’s regime. The U.S. Department of State recommends that any U.S. citizens in Venezuela leave immediately,” the department continued.
Venezuela was hit with the highest Travel Advisory level, “do not travel,” and U.S. embassies in bordering countries have also issued alerts.
“Venezuelan borders with Colombia, Brazil, and Guyana are not clearly marked in many locations. Do not go near the border due to the risk of crossing into Venezuela accidentally and being detained,” reads a notice, issued Tuesday, from the U.S. Embassy in Bogota.
There is no American embassy or consulate operating in Venezuela at this time, officials said, and the U.S. government is unable to provide routine or emergency services for citizens there.
The Biden administration called Maduro’s election earlier this year “illegitimate” and a “desperate attempt to seize power.”
Back in January, six American hostages in Venezuela were released after President Trump’s envoy for special missions Richard Grenell made a visit to the South American nation. Another American was freed this month.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has sought to strip protections the Biden administration gave to hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants, who fled to the U.S. amid political turmoil, as part of its broader crackdown on immigration.
