What to know about the Biden Administration’s latest prisoner exchange
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The Biden administration swapped an ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro for 10 Americans imprisoned in the country Wednesday.
In addition to the 10 Americans, the deal also included a fugitive known as “Fat Leonard.” A Malaysian defense contractor, Leonard Francis was involved in one of the largest corruption scandals in U.S. Navy history, according to Fox News.
The exchange follows prior high-profile attempts from President Biden to bring home Americans jailed across the world, such as last December’s swap of Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout for WNBA star Brittney Griner, per The Associated Press.
Who are the exchanged Americans?
Of the 10 Americans freed from Venezuela, the six classified as wrongfully detained were released, Reuters reported.
Three of the men released were accused of trying to enter Venezuela illegally.
Among those detained were Eyvin Hernandez, Jerrel Kenemore, Joseph Ryan Cristella and Savoi Wright, per Reuters.
Jason Saad and Edgar Jose Marval Moreno were later identified, according to CBS News.
The U.S. declined to name others citing privacy concerns.
Twenty-one Venezuelan prisoners were also released, according to Reuters, .
What critics say
Republicans said the release of Maduro ally Alex Saab in the deal emboldens Maduro to “continue down an authoritarian path,” according to AP.
“The swaps have raised concerns that the U.S. is incentivizing hostage-taking abroad and producing a false equivalence between Americans who are wrongfully detained abroad and foreigners who have been properly prosecuted and convicted in U.S courts,” according to AP.
The hostage swap is part of the “Barbados Agreement,” a pact to encourage fair elections in Venezuela by offering certain incentives, per NPR. Critics of the swap argue that Maduro has already broke some promises in the agreement so it’s unlikely to yield the wanted results.
Roger Carstens, special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, said the release means no more Americans are imprisoned in Venezuela, according to CBS News.
The freed Americans react
The Americans were released to Kelly Field, part of Joint Base San Antonio. Afterward, Hernandez spoke to reporters, CBS News reported.
Hernandez said he was “incredibly grateful to my family, to my friends, to President Biden to getting me home, to getting all of us home.”
Wright also summed up his feelings about being released from Venezuela.
“Very emotional, exciting, grateful, so much gratitude for the moment, for the United States of America, for all of you, and for the opportunity to come home,” Wright said, per CBS News.
