PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: A U.S. Air Force veteran detained in Venezuela since November has been released.
👥 Who’s Involved: Joseph St. Clair, his parents Scott and Patti St. Clair, former Trump envoy Richard Grenell, and Venezuelan officials.
📍 Where & When: St. Clair was handed over during a diplomatic handoff on Tuesday in a neutral location.
💬 Key Quote: “This news came suddenly, and we are still processing it, but we are overwhelmed with joy and gratitude,” said St. Clair’s parents.
⚠️ Impact: St. Clair’s release is part of ongoing diplomatic efforts that have freed multiple Americans detained abroad.
IN FULL:
A U.S. Air Force veteran detained in Venezuela for nearly a year has been freed, according to his family and U.S. officials. Joseph St. Clair, a decorated language specialist who served four tours in Afghanistan, was handed over to former Trump administration envoy Richard Grenell during a diplomatic exchange on Tuesday.
“Joe St. Clair is back in America,” Grenell confirmed in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “I met Venezuelan officials in a neutral country today to negotiate an America First strategy,” he continued, adding that this was “only possible because [Donald Trump] puts Americans first.”
St. Clair’s parents, Scott and Patti St. Clair, expressed their relief in a statement: “This news came suddenly, and we are still processing it, but we are overwhelmed with joy and gratitude.”
The veteran had traveled to South America seeking treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when Venezuelan authorities detained him in November. No public charges were ever announced against him, according to his father’s prior comments to the press.
This release follows a series of quiet diplomatic negotiations involving Grenell, including the freeing of six other Americans detained by Venezuela’s government after its controversial presidential election in July. Grenell had previously met with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas earlier this year, urging the return of Venezuelan nationals in the U.S. who had committed crimes. Hundreds of deportations have since occurred.
Maduro later thanked Grenell and President Donald J. Trump for facilitating the return of a young Venezuelan girl separated from her mother, calling it a “profoundly humane” act.
St. Clair’s safe return adds to a growing list of Americans released from foreign detention through focused diplomatic efforts.