Trump admin secures release of US Air Force vet wrongfully detained in Venezuela

A US Air Force veteran who had been wrongfully detained in Venezuela since November has been released. According to an announcement from his family and US officials, Joseph St. Clair, a decorated language specialist who served four tours in Afghanistan, was handed over to Richard Grenell, an envoy for special missions under former President Donald Trump, during a diplomatic handoff on Tuesday.

The release came unexpectedly, and his parents, Scott and Patti St. Clair, expressed both relief and joy at the news in a statement, “This news came suddenly, and we are still processing it, but we are overwhelmed with joy and gratitude," according to the Miami Herald.

Scott St. Clair previously told the Associated Press that his son had traveled to South America seeking treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, and during the trip, he was detained by Venezuelan authorities, though no charges were made public.

Grenell, who reportedly played a key role in securing the veteran’s release, shared photos on X showing himself with St. Clair and wrote, “Joe St. Clair is back in America.” He also revealed that he met with Venezuelan officials “in a neutral country” to negotiate St. Clair’s freedom as part of what he called an “America First strategy.”

St. Clair’s release follows the earlier freeing of six other Americans detained by the government of President Nicolás Maduro after Venezuela’s disputed July presidential election. Those releases also came after Grenell met Maduro in Caracas this past February.

During that meeting, Grenell urged Maduro to accept the return of Venezuelan nationals deported from the US who had committed crimes. Since then, hundreds of such deportations have occurred. The Venezuelan leader later expressed gratitude to both Trump and Grenell for facilitating the return of a 2-year-old girl who had been separated from her mother, calling it a “profoundly humane” act.

St. Clair's safe return marks another step in a series of quiet but impactful diplomatic negotiations that have resulted in multiple American citizens being freed from detention in Venezuela and around the world.