Seven U.S. citizens were released on Saturday in exchange for the two nephews of Cilia Flores, wife of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The move is a rare gesture for the two countries’ diplomatic relations, which have been strained since Hugo Chávez was president, and which escalated after the United States did not recognize Maduro as president in 2019.
The swap of detained citizens —the largest by President Joe Biden— was a difficult decision, according to White House sources, since they offered clemency to two convicted drug traffickers facing sentences on U.S. soil. However, according to the source, it was the only way to convince the Venezuelan government.
The narco-nephews
The term ‘narco-nephews’ began to be used in November 2015, on social networks and in the press, when Efraín Antonio Campo Flores and Franqui Francisco Flores de Freitas were arrested in Haiti by DEA agents during an anti-drug operation, and subsequently extradited.
The first lady’s nephews were accused of attempting to smuggle a cocaine shipment into the United States. In December 2017, a New York court sentenced them to 18 years in prison for drug trafficking. The case was highly publicized and put the spotlight on high-ranking officials of the Maduro administration —and a possible link to trafficking.
During the trial, it became known that Flores de Freitas made several trips allegedly linked to drug trafficking. According to the Spanish newspaper El País, in one of the audios presented as evidence, they talked about how they planned to evade security controls through the presidential hangar at the Simón Bolívar International Airport.
For his part, Campos Flores —who was raised by Cilia Flores— revealed, according to El País, that the drugs came from crops grown by guerrilla groups in Colombia (FARC). He also admitted that the objective was to make money. They expected to obtain five million dollars in the first load, and prosecutors revealed that they expect to obtain around 20 million dollars in several shipments.
The Venezuelan government confirmed the exchange in a statement, without giving the names of those released: “As a result of various conversations held since March 5, with representatives of the government of the United States, the release of two young Venezuelans unjustly imprisoned in that country has been achieved.”
On U.S. soil
The seven people detained by the Venezuelan government arrived in the United States on Saturday, including the five Citgo executives who were arrested in 2017 while in Venezuela at a corporate headquarters meeting. The oil business executives were arrested by masked agents who stormed the conference room.
The Citgo executives were convicted of alleged embezzlement, in a trial that was criticized for supposed irregularities and delays. The detainees, who pleaded not guilty, were sentenced to between eight and thirteen years in prison by the Venezuelan Supreme Court. For its part, the State Department has considered them to be unjustly detained.
“Today, after years of being wrongfully detained in Venezuela, we are bringing home Jorge Toledo, Tomeu Vadell, Alirio Zambrano, Jose Luis Zambrano, Jose Pereira, Matthew Heath, and Osman Khan,” Biden said in a statement.
In addition to the Citgo executives, Matthew Heath, a former U.S. Marine who was arrested at a roadblock in Venezuela and indicted on terrorism charges in 2020, was also released. Heath denied the allegations and the U.S. government called the charges specious.
Also, among those freed was Osman Khan, who was detained for allegedly entering Venezuela illegally.
“These individuals will soon be reunited with their families and back in the arms of their loved ones where they belong,” Biden said in a statement. “To all the families who are still suffering and separated from their loved ones who are wrongfully detained — know that we remain dedicated to securing their release.”
Other detentions
Four other U.S. citizens remain detained in Venezuela, including two men who were arrested for allegedly entering the country illegally, and two former Green Berets involved in an attempt to oust Maduro in 2019.
Meanwhile, Biden did not release Alex Saab, who is awaiting trial, and is charged in the United States for allegedly diverting millions in state contracts in Venezuela. The Maduro government considers Saab a diplomat, while prosecutors accuse him of facilitating corruption in the South American country.
Improved relationships?
The exchange took place in a third country after months of negotiations. According to a source, the U.S. government signed the pardon weeks ago, but waited a prudent period of time to establish the mechanisms.
According to some experts in international relations, the gesture may be an attempt to normalize relations between the two countries. A rapprochement that neither would prefer, but that both need because of oil.
Images: David Lienemann and Valter Campanato/ABr
