Venezuela has released U.S. Air Force veteran Joseph St. Clair in an effort to ease tensions with the United States. St. Clair, who is 33 years old, boarded a private flight in Antigua and Barbuda and landed in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday. Richard Grenell, the U.S. envoy for special missions, facilitated the handover between Venezuelan and U.S. authorities.
St. Clair was one of nine Americans still held in Venezuela. The U.S. State Department declared him and eight others wrongfully detained earlier this month. The ninth detainee is also expected to receive this designation soon.
Grenell shared the news on social media, posting photos of himself with St. Clair. He emphasized that the release was part of a strategy to prioritize American interests, crediting former President Donald Trump for this approach.
With St. Clair’s return, Venezuela hopes to persuade the Trump administration to allow Western oil companies back into the country. The Trump administration had previously imposed strict economic sanctions on Venezuela and restricted its access to the global oil market. In February, Trump revoked a license that permitted Chevron to work with Venezuela’s state-owned oil company.
In recent months, Venezuela has shown a willingness to cooperate with the U.S. In addition to releasing St. Clair, the country has accepted several deportees from the United States. Reports suggest that the Trump administration may delay the deadline for Western companies to cease operations in Venezuela in exchange for these gestures.
St. Clair served four tours in Afghanistan and was honorably discharged in 2019. After struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, he sought treatment in South America, where he was arrested by Venezuelan authorities at the border with Colombia last October.