The U.S. has reached an agreement to secure the release of six wrongfully detained Americans and four others detained in Venezuela, senior U.S. officials announced Wednesday.
The agreement also includes the extradition of Leonard Francis, a former military contractor known as "Fat Leonard" who orchestrated the biggest corruption scandal in U.S. Navy history.
The agreement marks another sign of a significant thaw in relations between the United States and Venezuela after months of high-level talks. The thaw comes as Biden is dealing with a deterioration on the southern border, largely caused by Venezuelan migrants, which has pushed federal resources to the brink of danger.
The release includes all six Americans wrongfully detained, including Evan Hernandez, Jerrell Kenemore, Joseph Cristella and Savoy Wright, according to a senior ***.
Luke Denman and Alan Berry are among the 10 Americans released from Venezuela, an American** told CNN. In May 2020, two former Green Berets were sentenced to prison in Venezuela for allegedly participating in what Maduro called a "failed coup." They were sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The first phone call between senior Chinese and U.S. generals in more than a year marks the end of a tense state of silence between China and senior military officials, which had previously caused the Pentagon to be deeply concerned by the lack of communication between the two sides.
Joint Chief of Staff spokesman Capt. Jerill Dorsey said the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Carl Brown Jr., held a meeting with his Chinese counterpart on Thursday.
Brown spoke with Gen. Liu Zhenli, chief of staff of the Joint Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, the first phone call between the two since Brown became chairman.
Brown discussed the importance of working together to manage competition responsibly, avoid miscalculations, and maintain open and direct lines of communication," Dorsey said. Brown reiterated the importance of substantive dialogue with the Chinese People's Liberation Army to reduce the possibility of misunderstanding. ”
US leaders have been saying for several months that the continued lack of communication between the two sides is a matter of serious concern. The Office of Military Policy is "actively coordinating" with Beijing to establish communication.