A U.S. Navy serviceman was detained by police in Venezuela after entering the country without authorization to attend to personal matters, according to two U.S. defense sources quoted by the Associated Press (AP).
One of the sources said that the sailor has been in the custody of Venezuelan authorities since around August 30.
“The US Navy is investigating the case and working closely with the State Department,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
The officials quoted by AP, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide undisclosed details, referred to the State Department for an update on the sailor's situation.
One of the officials said that the soldier was not on an official trip and did not have authorization to visit Venezuela, a country that maintains tense relations with Washington.
The arrest follows a similar case earlier this year, when a US Army soldier was detained after traveling to Russia to visit his girlfriend.
