Overview

• Joseph St. Clair, a U.S. Air Force veteran detained in Venezuela since November 2024, has been released and is returning home.
• The handover occurred on the Caribbean island of Antigua, facilitated by U.S. envoy Richard Grenell and confirmed by Venezuela's information minister.
• St. Clair's release is reportedly tied to negotiations offering a 60-day extension of Chevron’s operating license in Venezuela, pending U.S. Treasury and State Department approval.
• St. Clair, who served four tours in Afghanistan and suffers from severe PTSD, was held in harsh conditions in Venezuela’s Rodeo I prison.
• Efforts continue to secure the release of other Americans wrongfully detained in Venezuela, with nine individuals still designated as such by the U.S. State Department.