U.S. warns Americans against travel to Venezuela

The State Department on Tuesday issued its highest Travel Advisory — Level 4: Do Not Travel — for Venezuela, citing “severe risks to Americans” including wrongful detention, torture while in custody, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, civil unrest and poor health infrastructure.

During a press conference Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce emphasized that the alert is not just for Venezuela, but also for nearby border regions.

“I cannot emphasize enough the gravity of this warning,” she said.

She would not reveal how many Americans are currently wrongfully detained in Venezuela, stating those figures are “a national security dynamic.”

Americans often travel to Venezuela to see loved ones or spouses’ families, but they face the same risks of detention as other travelers. Their family members are often detained alongside them, the State Department said.

“U.S. citizens in Venezuela face a significant and growing risk of wrongful detention,” the State Department said. “Venezuelan security forces have detained U.S. citizens for up to five years without respect to due process, in harsh conditions — including torture — frequently based solely on their U.S. nationality or U.S. passport.”

The Trump administration has secured the release of several Americans the State Department has labeled as wrongfully detained.

Last week, Richard Grenell, Trump’s special presidential envoy for special missions and the appointed president of the Kennedy Center, announced that U.S. Air Force veteran Joseph St. Clair had been released from Venezuelan custody and was on his way home.

In February, the Trump administration secured the release of six Americans who had been wrongly detained in Venezuela for several months.