US sailor detained in Venezuela traveled without permission, officials say
PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo — U.S. Navy Sailors man the rails on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier, Feb. 26, 2021. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jose Madrigal via U.S. Defense Visual Information Distribution Service)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Navy sailor has been detained in Venezuela after traveling there on personal leave without required authorization from U.S. military authorities, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Wednesday.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, declined to provide further details, including any information on why the sailor was detained.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby confirmed that a U.S. service member had been detained and said Washington was trying to get more information from Venezuelan authorities.
"We're obviously in touch as appropriate, as you would be, with Venezuelan authorities to try to get more knowledge," Kirby added.
The State Department said it was closely tracking the detention. The Venezuelan government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The arrest comes amid soaring tensions between Washington and Caracas about Venezuela's contested presidential election in July.
The opposition, some Western countries and international bodies like a United Nations panel of experts have said the vote was not transparent and demanded publication of full vote tallies, with some outright accusing the Maduro administration of fraud.
Venezuela's attorney general's office said on Monday a court had issued an arrest warrant for opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez, accusing him of conspiracy and other crimes.
The warrant request came hours after the Biden administration said an aircraft used by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro had been confiscated in the Dominican Republic after determining that its purchase violated U.S. sanctions, a move the Venezuelan government slammed as an act of "piracy."
(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Additional reporting by Gabriella Borter; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
