A U.S. service member has been reportedly detained in Venezuela as tensions rise between the countries amid the Maduro government's crackdown following its controversial elections in late July.
The person in question is an American citizen and a Navy sailor, according to CNN. He was detained on August 30 in Caracas while on a personal, unapproved trip, four officials told the outlet, despite the U.S. government advising against doing so.
The travel advisory highlights that American citizens have been detained for up to five years and that the U.S. government "is not generally notified of the detention of U.S. citizens in Venezuela or granted access to U.S. citizen prisoners there."
One official said he's being held by the country's intelligence agency (SEBIN). "The U.S. Navy is looking into this and working closely with the State Department. We refer you to the State Department for additional questions," an official added.
The news surfaces as the U.S. is reportedly readying new sanctions on Venezuelan government officials as they tighten their grip on power more than a month after the disputed presidential elections.
Bloomberg reported this week that the Treasury Department is close to announcing "15 individual sanctions on Maduro-affiliated officials." The official argument is that they "obstructed the holding of free and fair presidential elections," as the government claimed to have won the presidential elections despite not showing supporting documentation to back its claim.
Among those set to be sanctioned are members of the National Electoral Council (CNE), the National Assembly, the Supreme Court and law enforcement agencies. The outlet added that the decision could be announced as soon as this week.
The Biden administration has already begun taking measures in that direction, seizing on Monday an aircraft used by Maduro for personal and official purposes. Authorities cited violations of U.S. sanctions and other criminal activities for their decision, with the plane flown to Florida from the Dominican Republic.
The seizure is seen as a bold move by U.S. authorities, aimed at sending a strong message to the Venezuelan leadership. As one U.S. official told CNN: "seizing the aircraft of a foreign head of state is a milestone in criminal matters. We are making it clear that no one is above the law, and no one is beyond the reach of U.S. sanctions."
Maduro currently faces a $15 million bounty from the U.S. for information leading to his arrest on charges of conspiring with his allies to flood the country with narcotics. Other top officials are in the same situation.
However, more than a month on, they remain entrenched in power with both parties moving toward tougher positions. A few hours after the plane was seized, a government-friendly court granted an arrest warrant for opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, whose claim about winning the elections is backed by several countries in the international community.
Florida Senator Rick Scott also issued a stern warning on Tuesday, saying that "there will be hell to pay" if Maduro arrests González Urrutia.
"This is a line in the sand, and if Maduro and his buddies cross it, there will be hell to pay," Scott said in a publication on X. He also criticized the Biden administration for the current scenario, saying its "appeasement policies emboldened Maduro and his thuggish regime, resulting in an attempt to steal the election from President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia."
The senator also urged for the passing of a bill of his authoring, which would ban federal agencies from "doing business with anyone that supports the oppressive Maduro regime." The initiative was co-sponsored by Senators Marco Rubio and, Democrat Jacky Rosen and Thom Tillis, from Nevada.
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