This week, the Pentagon faced a big problem when a group of Marines and Navy personnel were attacked by a Turkish mob. The incident happened while they were on shore leave from their ship, the USS Wasp, which was docked in Izmir, Turkey. Ten Turkish nationals from a nationalist political party have been arrested in connection with the attack.
But that’s not the only issue. Now, there’s another crisis involving US military personnel—this time in Venezuela. A US Navy sailor has been detained by Venezuelan authorities. The sailor was in Venezuela for personal reasons, not on official business, and wasn’t authorized to travel there.
The Pentagon has confirmed that the sailor has been in custody since around August 30. They are working with the State Department to resolve the situation. The sailor’s travel to Venezuela was against official military advice. US military members are usually warned about which places are unsafe or off-limits, and Venezuela is one of those places, due to recent unrest and strict security measures.
The State Department has advised all US citizens to avoid traveling to Venezuela, warning that Americans can be wrongfully detained for long periods. The US government often doesn’t get notified when its citizens are detained there or given access to them.
Adding to the tension, just this week, US authorities seized a private jet owned by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from a runway in the Dominican Republic. The jet, worth $13 million, was allegedly obtained illegally in violation of US sanctions. Maduro responded angrily, accusing the US of “piracy.”
As US-Venezuelan relations continue to deteriorate, more headlines about detained Americans might appear, especially after recent accusations that Maduro stole the national election.
