The NGO Foro Penal confirmed this Wednesday the arrest in Venezuela of two people linked to the United States: a US citizen and a Cuban citizen with legal residence in that country. The organization said it continues to investigate the circumstances and motives surrounding both arrests.
The president and director of Foro Penal, Alfredo Romero, had previously reported through the social network
In response to a subsequent query from the Efe agency, the NGO specified that it is an American and a Cuban with legal immigration status in the United States, and not two North American citizens, as was initially interpreted.
According to the information provided by Foro Penal, the Cuban citizen was identified as Aidel Suárez, arrested on December 24, 2024. Meanwhile, the American is James Luckey-Lange, who “is presumed to have been arrested on December 8, 2025 when trying to enter Venezuela from Guyana.”
Rosemary indicated in Regarding Luckey-Lange, the organization did not offer additional details about his situation or place of detention.
Political detainees in Venezuela
According to the most recent bulletin of Foro Penal, with a cut-off date of December 29, 2025, in Venezuela 863 people remain detained for political reasons. Of the total, 86 have foreign nationality or dual citizenship.
The announcement comes amid a changing context in relations between Caracas and Washington. In January 2025, shortly after Donald Trump’s return to the White House, both governments reached an agreement for Venezuela to receive migrants deported from the United States, a mechanism that is currently suspended.
That understanding was finalized after a visit to Caracas by Richard Grenell, Trump’s special envoy, after which six US citizens detained in Venezuela were released.
Later, in July 2025, the Venezuelan government released ten more Americans as part of an exchange that allowed the return of 252 Venezuelans who were detained in El Salvador.
