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WASHINGTON — Utahn Josh Holt's safe return to the United States after being detained in a Venezuelan prison for two years took "teamwork and trust," the State Department spokeswoman said during a briefing with reporters on Tuesday.
State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert opened the briefing with a statement on Holt's release, thanking her department colleagues for their efforts on Holt's behalf.
Nauert singled out the role of Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon, who "coordinated with members of Congress advising them on what proved to be a successful strategy on the part of our colleagues. Such teamwork and trust is essential to manage these incredibly difficult cases and seeking progress however we can.”
The State Department "continued to call for his release on humanitarian grounds for a very long time. You heard us speak about that frequently here. I’d like to thank our colleagues at our U.S. Embassy in Caracas. I’d like to thank my colleagues in Consular Affairs and especially I’d like to thank our Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Tom Shannon for his efforts on this case over the past two years," she said.
"Under Secretary Shannon helped lead the efforts of the entire department to include CA, legislative affairs and Western Hemisphere teams to secure the humanitarian release of the Holt family from Venezuela."
Holt and his wife Thamy, who was also imprisoned, returned to Utah Monday evening, welcomed by cheering crowds after touching down at the Salt Lake City International Airport and in Riverton, his hometown, at the Old Dome Meeting Hall.
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Heroes' welcome for Holts after 2-year Venezuelan imprisonment
"It was hard," Josh Holt told reporters. "But we definitely felt the help, the support of the people here, of the prayers."Their release and warm welcome marked the end of two years of captivity in a Venezuelan prison on what U.S. officials and his family says were false charges.
Holt and Thamara "Thamy" Caleño met in person for the first time in May 2016 in the Dominican Republic, and he proposed to her on the lawn of an LDS church there. He traveled in June to marry her in her hometown of Caracas, one of the most violent cities in the world. The two planned to wait for her visa before flying to the U.S.
In early July 2016, Holt's family members announced they had not heard from him in a week. They suspected he had been framed and was being held as a spy. They received a Facebook message from his wife's mother, stating that her daughter and Josh Holt were in prison.
The message had little information about the arrest but included a local news article about the alleged crime, including photos of guns, a grenade, cash, Josh Holt's passport, credit cards and IDs allegedly taken from the apartment where the couple was living.
While he was imprisoned, Holt's family desperately pleaded for help to get him released. They turned to Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Rep. Mia Love, R-Utah, for their assistance. The Holts rallied at the state Capitol and called for the Obama and Trump administrations to intervene.
The Venezuelan government unexpectedly released Holt from jail on Saturday after Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., met with Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas on Friday, a meeting that was arranged through back channels.
Corker, Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, accompanied Holt, his wife and stepdaughter to Washington.
Contributing: Dennis Romboy
