A US Navy sailor has been detained in Venezuela after traveling there on personal leave without required authorization from US military authorities, two US officials told Reuters on Wednesday.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, declined to provide further details, including any information on why the sailor was detained and whether Venezuelan authorities had informed the US government about the matter.
The arrest comes amid soaring tensions between Washington and Caracas about Venezuela's contested presidential election in July.
The United States is closely tracking the detention of a U.S. military member in Venezuela and is seeking additional information, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at a regular news briefing on Wednesday.