Wife of former American detainee released after more than a year in Venezuelan prison
The wife of a once-detained American citizen was released this week after being held for more than a year in a Venezuelan prison following their arrest while traveling to the...
By Fox News · Fox News
The wife of a once-detained American citizen was released this week after being held for more than a year in a Venezuelan prison following their arrest while traveling to the South American nation to meet her family. Renzo Humanchumo Castillo, a Peruvian- American who was detained for close to a year by Venezuelan authorities, told Fox News Digital that his Venezuelan wife, Rosa Carolina Chirino Zambrano, as well as her friend and the taxi driver they were with, were released after being imprisoned and charged with espionage due to their contact with him. He spoke with Zambrano following her release, he said, their first contact since December 2024 when they were confronted by Venezuelan authorities near the country's border with Colombia. TRUMP PLANS TO MEET WITH VENEZUELA OPPOSITION LEADER MARIA CORINA MACHADO NEXT WEEK "It was surreal," Castillo recalled of the conversation. "She got teary, you know, but she was like… 'hey baby, I'm out.' Now my main concern is how do I get her here with me." Castillo, who lives in Southern California, was detained after crossing the border into Venezuela, along with his wife and her friend, who were in a taxi. After being questioned at length by Venezuelan authorities, he was charged with terrorism and conspiring to kill Nicolas Maduro, then the country's president, who was recently captured by U.S. forces in a daring military operation. "They got me as a professional hitman sent by the CIA , and (that) I was there to overthrow the government and kill Maduro and Diosdado (Cabello)," Castillo said. Diosdado Cabello, known as the "octopus," runs Venezuela's security apparatus and is considered one of the country's most feared government figures. The U.S. has accused him of narco-terrorism and several other crimes. The State Department has issued a $25 million reward for his arrest and conviction. "Cabello, he presented me on the news, and then he put me on a chart saying that I came here to overthrow the government," Castillo sai…