Freed American in Venezuela Convicted of Triple Murder

The U.S. secured the release of ten Americans and permanent residents from a Venezuelan prison. Among those freed was Dahud Hanid Ortiz, an American-Venezuelan dual national. Venezuelan court records and Spanish officials indicate Ortiz was convicted in Venezuela for a 2016 triple homicide in Madrid. The victims were killed when Ortiz, intending to murder a lawyer, mistakenly killed two women and a man he believed to be the lawyer. Ortiz, a former U.S. Army soldier with a Purple Heart, was sentenced to 30 years for the murders. The U.S. State Department has described the releases as efforts to protect Americans held abroad.