Los Angeles Attorneys: One Missing & One Imprisoned in Venezuela

Missing 33-Year-Old Man NR23212dm - LAPD Online  Aaron was last seen on July 6, 2023, at a residence in the 200 block of South Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles. His family is concerned for his safety, or that he may be hospitalized and unidentified. 

Prior to Christmas 2022 Roger Carstens of the U.S. State Department along with U.S. Consular officials went to visit Americans imprisoned in Venezuela.  News of the trip was not made public for at least 6 months.  He suggested there are only four Americans detained in Venezuala, whom they visited.

• Two Americans arrested for their part of “Operation Gideon” an attempt to overthrow President Madura (Former Green Beret’s Luke Denman & Airan Berry)

• Two Americans wrongly detained: Eyvin Hernandez & Jerrel Kenemore

February 2023  U.S. not negotiating new Venezuela prisoner swap despite appeal, say U.S. officials | Reuters

• Attorney Eyvin Hernandez, a Los Angeles County Public Defender from El Salvador,  sends a video/letter appeal to President Biden via Reuters. He requests the release of Alex Saab, a COLUMBIAN-born businessman facing trial in Miami for a bribery scheme involving $350 million linked to Venezuela’s state-controlled exchange rate; in exchange for Venezuela releasing him & seven other US detainees. No mention is made of the discrepancy in number of Americans held.                                                                              

It should be noted that 3 months prior the U.S. state Department recognized only 4  detainees from America.  Either the video was pre-recorded, before three detainees were released in October 2022 or there needs to be a clarification of how many Americans are detained in Venezuela. May 2023 national security adviser Jake Sullivan spoke with Hernandez’s supporters in May.  A rally was held July 18th, 2023 in front of the U.S. capitol, to bring attention to the plight of Hernandez, support came from bi-partisan representatives of Southern California:  Reps. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Calif., Young Kim, R-Calif., and Joaquin Castro, D-Texas. 

• H.Res.578 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): Calling for the immediate release of Eyvin Hernandez, a United States citizen and Los Angeles County public defender, who was wrongfully detained by the Venezuelan regime in March 2022. | Congress.gov | Library of Congress 

Related article: Will Carvajal Barrios Indictment affect or aid return of L.A. Attorney Imprisoned in Venezuela?  

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