Nicolás Maduro’s dictatorial regime has “disappeared” 31 foreign nationals, including American veterans, forcing President Trump and world leaders to demand immediate action against Venezuela’s brutal human rights violations.
Key Takeaways
- Venezuela is holding at least 31 foreign nationals under conditions of forced disappearance, including U.S. Navy SEAL Wilbert Joseph Castañeda and U.S. Air Force veteran Joseph Saint Claire
- Venezuelan NGO Foro Penal reports 890 known political prisoners, with 72 being foreign nationals, and 68 whose whereabouts remain completely unknown
- President Trump and leaders from Colombia, Argentina, Italy, Spain, and Israel have demanded the release of their citizens, but Maduro rejects these demands while claiming a “worldwide conspiracy”
- Following Venezuela’s disputed July 2024 election, authorities detained over 2,000 people on vague charges like “incitement to hatred” and “terrorism”
- Human Rights Watch has documented widespread killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and torture carried out by the Maduro regime
Maduro’s International Hostage Crisis
Venezuela under Nicolás Maduro has become a rogue state engaging in state-sponsored kidnapping of foreign nationals. According to reports from multiple human rights organizations, at least 31 foreign citizens are currently being held under conditions qualifying as forced disappearance. Among these hostages are two American military veterans: U.S. Navy SEAL Wilbert Joseph Castañeda and U.S. Air Force veteran Joseph Saint Claire, both detained under mysterious circumstances with limited information about their conditions or alleged crimes. The Maduro regime refuses to disclose detention locations while rushing through sham trials without credible evidence.
“Donald Trump, Gustavo Petro, Javier Milei, Giorgia Meloni, Pedro Sánchez, and Benjamin Netanyahu, among other global leaders, have demanded the release of their citizens illegally imprisoned by the Caribbean regime,” reports Infobae.
The Venezuelan NGO Foro Penal has documented 890 known political prisoners in the country, with 72 being foreign nationals. Among these, 68 have unknown whereabouts, effectively making them victims of forced disappearance—a serious violation of international human rights law. Colombia has the largest number of citizens subjected to this treatment, despite the supposedly friendly relationship between Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Maduro. Argentina and the United States have also seen their citizens targeted, with the U.S. government warning of potential retaliation if American detainees aren’t released.
Post-Election Crackdown and Human Rights Violations
Venezuela’s current human rights crisis intensified following the contentious July 28, 2024 presidential election. Despite Maduro claiming victory, both the respected Carter Center observation mission and the UN Electoral Technical Team questioned the results, suggesting opposition candidate Edmundo González had actually won. When citizens took to the streets demanding fair vote counting, Maduro’s security forces responded with brutal repression, deploying both official forces and pro-government armed groups known as “colectivos” to crush dissent.
“The Carter Center said that the precinct-level tally sheets published by the opposition, which seemed to indicate that opposition candidate Edmundo González had won, were reliable and ‘authentic.'”
Human Rights Watch has extensively documented the post-election crackdown, reporting widespread killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and torture targeting opposition supporters. Over 2,000 Venezuelans were detained after the election on vague charges like “incitement to hatred” and “terrorism.” Many activists, journalists, and opposition officials have been forced to flee the country to avoid persecution. Those who remained face a legal system that serves as a tool of political repression rather than justice.
The Ten Americans Currently Held in Venezuela: Overview, Diplomatic Context, and Recent Family Statements
As of May 2025, at least nine or ten individuals holding U.S. citizenship or dual nationality are deemed “wrongfully detained” in Venezuela (Hersey, 2025a; Psaledakis &… pic.twitter.com/TUZ4wWFxS9
— Vanilla Gorilla (@VanillaGorilaX) May 19, 2025
International Response and Regime Defiance
Despite mounting international pressure, Maduro’s regime continues to deny wrongdoing while doubling down on its repressive tactics. The dictator has rejected all demands for the release of foreign nationals, instead claiming these legitimate diplomatic concerns represent a “worldwide conspiracy” against his government. This pattern of denial and deflection has become characteristic of the Maduro regime, which routinely ignores international norms while continuing to consolidate power through fear and intimidation.
“But Maduro rejects the claims of the United States, Colombia, Argentina, Italy, Spain, and Israel, alleges a worldwide conspiracy against him, does not reveal the places of detention of the 31 disappeared, and accelerates his trials without providing a single legal and reliable proof.”
President Trump’s administration has taken a strong stance on the detention of American citizens, with officials indicating that serious consequences await if Maduro does not release U.S. nationals being held as political prisoners. Similarly, Argentine President Javier Milei has repeatedly demanded the release of Argentine gendarme Nahuel Gallo, who remains in Venezuelan custody. Israel has likewise pressed for the release of an Israeli citizen being held. Despite the unified international front against these human rights violations, Maduro remains defiant, apparently calculating that his grip on power depends on continued repression.
