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Venezuela says jailed Utah man headed to United States

Posted at 2:11 PM, May 26, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-26 14:11:33-04

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the release of a Utah man, Joshua Holt, who has been held in Venezuela (all times local):

1:40 p.m.

Venezuela’s chief spokesman says a Utah man and his wife jailed in Caracas for two years have been freed and are on their way to the United States.

Communications Minister Jorge Rodrigues said Saturday that the release of Joshua Holt follows months of dialogue between President Nicolas Maduro and representatives of the United States.

Holt was arrested on weapons charged during a trip to Venezuela to marry a woman he’d met on a website to practice Spanish. U.S. officials say the charges were trumped up.

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10 a.m.

The family of a Utah man jailed in a Venezuelan jail for two years calls his release a miracle.

A statement that relatives provided Saturday confirms that Joshua Holt and his wife will be freed from detention in the capital of Caracas. The couple was arrested on weapons charges that U.S. officials dismiss as trumped up.

President Donald Trump says in a tweet that he expects to greet Holt at the White House later Saturday.

Holt’s family expresses its gratitude for all who worked for his release.

They also ask to be allowed to meet Holt and his wife before making any public statements.