Ahead of President Nicolás Maduro's expected inauguration later this week, two U.S. citizens were among a group of seven individuals arrested in Venezuela on January 7. Maduro has branded the detainees as "mercenaries," adding to the tension surrounding his third-term.
During a speech on Tuesday, Maduro claimed that the detained U.S. citizens were "very high level," though he did not provide further details or evidence to substantiate the claims. The arrests have raised questions regarding their potential motivations and the broader political climate in Venezuela.
"Just today we've captured seven foreign mercenaries, including two important mercenaries from the United States," Maduro said, as he prepares to officially take office on Friday. His upcoming inauguration follows a highly disputed election in July 2024, which the opposition claims was rigged, alleging they had won by a landslide.
Despite the public announcement, neither the U.S. Department of State nor Colombia's foreign ministry immediately responded to requests for comment, leaving details about the arrests unclear.
This latest roundup of detainees adds to growing concerns from Venezuelan human rights groups, who have long warned about the country's pattern of arbitrary detentions. These groups have highlighted the troubling trend of a "revolving door" of prisoners, where new arrests occur even as older detainees are released, often including foreign nationals.
Venezuela’s ongoing political crisis, coupled with the strained relations between Maduro's government and Western nations, has fueled tensions within the country. The full details of the arrests remain unclear.
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The collective-defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signals that regional powers no longer want to rely solely on external security guarantees. Whether it becomes a stabilising deterrent or another axis of rivalry remains unresolved.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 19th of August, covering the latest developments.
Australia on Thursday condemned Israel’s decision to close its criminal investigation into the deaths of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six World Central Kitchen colleagues killed in Gaza in April 2024.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
North Korea has fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles after U.S. President Donald Trump reduced American participation in joint military exercises with South Korea in an effort to revive dialogue with Pyongyang.
Georgia’s foreign trade data for January-July 2026 shows Kyrgyzstan, China and Russia as its top three export markets, highlighting its Middle Corridor ambitions and complex economic ties with Moscow.
Kazakhstan will vote on 23 August in its first parliamentary election under the new Constitution, choosing 145 members of the new Kurultai under a fundamentally changed electoral system based entirely on party lists.
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