As part of the president’s” America First plan,” President Donald Trump’s administration confirmed on Tuesday that a U.S. Air Force veteran who had been held in Venezuela since November had been detained there.
According to The Miami Herald, Joseph St. Clair, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, was released by Venezuela on Tuesday and transferred to Richard Grenell, the country’s Unique National Envoy for Special Missions, as part of a package that is anticipated to allow the Chevron Corporation to continue operating in Venezuela for two more months.
St. Clair, who served in the U.S. Air Force for four tour in Afghanistan, has been detained in Venezuela since visiting South America to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, according to The Miami Herald. The outlet reported that St. Clair’s discharge was confirmed by Venezuelan Information Minister Freddy Nazareth, who claimed Antigua was the site of the political transition.
The National Security Council’s director of corporate communications, Pete Nguyen, stated in a speech on Tuesday that” we have secured the release of U.S. Air Force veteran Joseph St. Clair after six weeks of unjust incarceration in Venezuela. Special Envoy Ric Grenell engaged with senior Venezuelan officials under the government’s orders, and it was successful to secure St. Clair’s release and returning home to the United States.
Nguyen continued,” Our struggle is not over; the Trump Administration will work tirelessly to release all Americans who have been unlawfully detained in Venezuela and elsewhere in the world.”
The home of the U.S. Air Force veteran expressed gratitude for the 47th leader and his administration’s efforts to appoint St. Clair’s launch from Venezuela in a statement obtained by Fox News.
Scott and Patti St. Clair, the parents of the former U.S. Air Force veteran, stated,” We are also processing this information, but we are overjoyed and grateful.”
Joe St. Clair is again in America, according to Grenell, who shared images of his launch on X, a previously used Twitter account.
Grenell stated that he met with Cuban officials on Tuesday to “negotiate an America First plan” in a “neutral land.” The particular representative continued,” This is only possible because @realDonaldTrump prioritizes Americans.”
Since Trump’s opening in January, at least 37 Americans have been freed from Venezuela, Russia, Afghanistan, Belarus, Israel, and Kuwait, according to Fox News.
St. Clair is the sixth British citizen under the Trump administration to be freed from detention in Venezuela. Following a conference between Grenell and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the outlet reported that six additional British citizens were freed from Venezuela in January.
