US frees Maduro ally; Venezuela releases 10 Americans plus 'Fat Leonard'

The United States has freed a close ally of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in exchange for the release of 10 Americans imprisoned in the South American country and the return of a defence contractor known as "Fat Leonard", who is at the centre of a massive Pentagon bribery scandal, the Biden administration announced.

The largest release of American prisoners in Venezuela's history comes on Wednesday, weeks after the White House agreed to suspend some sanctions, following a commitment by Maduro to work toward free and fair conditions for the 2024 presidential election.

Maduro on Wednesday welcomed Alex Saab, his former confidant who was freed by the United States, to Caracas, hailing his release as "a triumph of truth."

The Colombian businessman Saab, who thanked Maduro for his help, was accused by the United States of money laundering for the Venezuelan government.

US officials said the decision to grant him clemency was difficult but essential in order to bring home jailed Americans, a core administrative objective that in recent years has resulted in the release of criminals who once been seen as untradeable.

The 10 Americans released include six who have been designated by the US government as wrongfully detained.

"These individuals have lost far too much precious time with their loved ones, and their families have suffered every day in their absence. I am grateful that their ordeal is finally over," President Biden said in a statement.

The agreement also resulted in the return to US custody of Leonard Glenn Francis, the Malaysian owner of a ship-servicing company who is the central character in one of the largest bribery scandals in Pentagon history.

But the exchange, a major US concession, angered many hardliners in the Venezuelan opposition who have criticised the White House for standing by as Maduro has repeatedly outmanoeuvred Washington after the US bid under Trump to topple Maduro failed.

Past US swaps with Venezuela

"Disgraceful decision," Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

The US sanctions remain suspended as part of the deal announced on Wednesday.

It also requires Maduro's government to release 21 Venezuelans, including Roberto Abdul, who co-founded a political group with Machado more than two decades ago and dismiss three arrest warrants.

Among the Americans behind bars in Venezuela are two former Green Berets, Luke Denman and Airan Berry, who were involved in an attempt to oust Maduro in 2019.

Also detained are Eyvin Hernandez, Jerrel Kenemore and Joseph Cristella, who were accused of entering Venezuela illegally from Colombia.

More recently, Venezuela arrested Savoi Wright, a 38-year-old California businessman.

The US has conducted several swaps with Venezuela over the past few years, including one in October 2022 for seven Americans, including five oil executives at Houston-based Citgo, in exchange for the release of two nephews of Maduro’s wife jailed in the US on narcotics charges.

'Fat Leonard'

The swaps have raised concerns that the US is incentivising hostage-taking abroad and producing a false equivalence between Americans who are wrongfully detained abroad and foreigners who have been properly prosecuted and convicted in US courts.

But Biden administration officials say securing the freedom of wrongfully detained Americans and hostages abroad requires difficult dealmaking.

Making this deal more palatable to the White House was Venezuela's willingness to return Francis.

Nicknamed "Fat Leonard," for his bulging 6-foot-3 frame, Francis was arrested in a San Diego hotel nearly a decade ago as part of a federal sting operation.

Investigators say he bilked the US military out of more than $35 million by buying off dozens of top-ranking Navy officers with booze, sex, lavish parties and other gifts.

Three weeks before he faced sentencing in September 2022, Francis made an escape as stunning and brazen as the case itself as he snipped off his ankle monitor and disappeared.

He was arrested by Venezuelan police attempting to board a flight from Caracas and has been in custody since.

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Source: TRT