Seven men and one woman of US nationality are being criminally prosecuted in Venezuela, according to records from the Ministry for the Penitentiary Service.
Leslie Nereida Ortiz (38) is on the list. She has been held at the National Institute for Women’s Guidance (Inof) since April 30, 2011. On that occasion she was captured with 440 grams of cocaine.
Ortiz is serving a 17-year prison sentence, according to the file of the 10th Execution Court of the Caracas Metropolitan Area.
Six of the eight Americans incarcerated are on trial for conspiracy and related crimes. Of that group of six, two are already sentenced to 24 years in prison: Airan Berry and Luke Alexander Denman. Both were captured on May 3, 2020 in Chuao (Aragua), when they came to carry out Operation Gideon, aimed at the overthrow of President Nicolás Maduro, according to the investigation by the Public Ministry.
Berry and Denman, former US soldiers, were hired by the Silvercorp company to carry out operations in Venezuelan territory, at the request of Juan Guaidó, who presented himself as president of Venezuela.
The two former Green Berets admitted their participation in the events and consequently the 4th Anti-Terrorist Court sentenced them on May 3, 2021 for conspiracy, criminal association, illicit trafficking in weapons of war, and terrorism.
The other processedyou
· Hanid Ortiz Dahud (Venezuelan-American). Prosecuted for the murder of two Cubans and an Ecuadorian, an event that occurred in May 2016 in Madrid, Spain.
· Jerrel Lloyd Kenemore. Captured in San Antonio del Táchira for allegedly entering Venezuela illegally in November 2022. He was charged with criminal association and conspiracy, according to file No. SP21-P-2022-002666 of the San Cristóbal Trial Court of First Instance (Táchira). .
· Eylin Alexis Hernandez. Likewise, detained in San Antonio del Táchira in November 2022. He is being prosecuted for conspiracy against the Venezuelan State and criminal association, according to file No. SP21-P2022-003496 of the 49th Control Court of the Criminal Judicial Circuit of the Caracas Metropolitan Area .
· Jason George Saab. Captured in Zulia where he is prosecuted for conspiracy, resistance to authority and criminal association, according to file No. 2C-24047-2022 of the 2nd Control Court with Municipal Jurisdiction, Maracaibo.
· Joseph Ryan Christella. Also captured in Táchira in October 2022. He is prosecuted for conspiracy against the Venezuelan State, according to file N°SP21-P-2022-016887 of the San Cristóbal State Criminal Court of First Instance in Control Functions.
