Venezuela has started releasing multiple Americans detained across the country, according to a U.S. State Department official.
The official did not confirm the identities or number of prisoners released by Venezuela, but in a statement called the move an important step in the right direction by the interim authorities.
This is the first known release of American citizens since a U.S. military operation that seized Nicolás Maduro and his wife during a raid in Caracas on January 3, facing drug trafficking charges in New York.
The UN states Venezuela has released about 50 prisoners so far, amidst claims of approximately 800 political prisoners in the country.
The Venezuelan government, led by Interim President Delcy Rodríguez, announced it would begin releasing a significant number of people deemed political prisoners as a goodwill gesture.
Confirmed releases include some domestic opposition figures and at least five Spanish citizens.
Donald Trump noted on his Truth Social account that the process of freeing detainees in Venezuela had begun in a BIG WAY. He claimed to have halted a second wave of airstrikes once he learned Caracas was cooperating with the release of prisoners.
These developments are seen as an initial test of Trump's influence in Venezuela following Maduro's ousting.
However, the interim government has been criticized for not keeping its promise to release political detainees, as pointed out by Ramón Guanipa, whose imprisoned father remains a notable political figure.
Guanipa urged caution for Trump, stating that the authorities' gestures should not be taken at face value until all political prisoners are released.
Human rights advocates have long claimed that the Venezuelan government employs detentions to silence critics, with officials denying the labels of political prisoners, citing criminal activities as the basis for arrests.
Most prisoners were detained after the controversial 2024 presidential election, which Maduro claimed he won despite opposition challenges.
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