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Washington, D.C. – Congressman Michael McCaul, Republican Leader on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called on the Maduro regime to release six American Citgo employees who were unjustly detained two and a half years ago today while on a business trip in Venezuela. The cases are considered forced disappearances. 

“I once again call on the Maduro regime to immediately release Tomeu Vadell, Gustavo Cardenas, Jose Pereira, Jorge Toledo, Alirio Zambrano, and Jose Luis Zambrano, who were unjustly detained by Venezuelan security forces exactly two and a half years agotoday. They have been held in the notorious Helicoide prison, known for its brutal conditions, without a fair trial or due process.  I remain deeply concerned for the health and safety of these six men, especially in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“These six men are husbands, fathers, and loved ones to friends and family and I will continue urging their release on humanitarian grounds. They and their families have suffered for far too long and it is past time to set them free.”

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