U.S. reaches prisoner swap deal with Venezuela

The U.S. on Wednesday released Alex Saab, an ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, in exchange for the extradition of a fugitive former defense contractor and the release of at least 10 American prisoners. According to the U.S. Treasury, Saab was indicted in 2019 for running a network that stole hundreds of millions of dollars and illegally profited from food imports. The defense contractor, Leonard Glenn Francis, was central to a fraud and bribery case that resulted in the conviction of nearly two dozen U.S Navy officials and contractors.

How are the diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Venezuela? There has been no operating American consulate in Venezuela since 2019. The U.S. State Department describes Maduro as “authoritarian.” The department also advises American citizens not to travel to Venezuela due to crime, civil unrest, and kidnappings.

Dig deeper: Read Jamie Dean’s report in WORLD Magazine about the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela.