The U.S. State Department and several regional embassies issued an urgent security alert on Tuesday, warning American citizens to avoid traveling to Venezuela.
“Do not travel to or remain in Venezuela due to the high risk of wrongful detention, torture in detention, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest, and poor health infrastructure,” the department stated in a news release. “No trip is worth the price of freedom.”
Officials said more U.S. nationals are currently wrongfully detained in Venezuela than in any other country. Even those with dual citizenship or a valid visa are vulnerable, the State Department added. The advisory strongly discourages all travel to Venezuela, including via land border crossings, noting that “even close proximity to the border has resulted in detention in Venezuela.”
The risk extends to U.S. citizens visiting family, as “family members and partners of U.S. nationals are often detained alongside the American traveler.”
The original “Do Not Travel” advisory was issued on May 12.
The U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, suspended operations in March 2019. “The U.S. government has no ability to provide emergency services or consular assistance to U.S. citizens in Venezuela,” officials confirmed.
Venezuela is experiencing severe political unrest, particularly since the disputed July 2024 presidential election, which sparked widespread protests and violent clashes with government security forces. Following the election, the government launched “Operation Tun-Tun,” a broad crackdown that resulted in thousands of detentions, including opposition members and children, with pervasive reports of torture.
Officials said Venezuela also faces widespread shortages of critical resources, including gasoline, electricity, water and medicine.
