Venezuelan Prison Conditions Detailed by American Recently Released After Detention
James Luckey-Lange, a 28-year-old American citizen, spent over a month detained in Venezuela before being released in January. He has since recounted his harrowing experience in Venezuelan prisons, detailing beatings, deprivation, and a climate of fear.
Luckey-Lange was freed following the capture of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. Authorities on January 13th. He described a moment of intense fear during his detention, stating, “I thought they were simply going to execute me. That was the most terrifying moment. I was also very frustrated, very upset, and angry.”
Now back in the United States, staying with an aunt in New York, Luckey-Lange is attempting to locate fellow prisoners he met during his ordeal. He painstakingly carved the names of his cellmates into a bar of soap he managed to conceal within his clothing, hoping to connect their families through Facebook and assure them he is no longer being held.
The conditions of his confinement made identifying his fellow detainees difficult. “I never saw many of these people’s faces,” he explained. “It’s hard to find their families if you don’t know what they look like.”
Like many Americans detained in Venezuela, Luckey-Lange faced accusations of espionage and endured harsh prison conditions. Despite the ordeal, he expressed a surprising sentiment, stating he doesn’t regret traveling to Venezuela, claiming to have “learned something” and “seen what’s really going on there.”
Luckey-Lange was held at a facility run by the Directorate General of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM), according to Foro Penal. He stated his fellow prisoners came from across Latin America and the Caribbean, among other places.
He described periods of prolonged isolation, deprivation of food and water, and physical abuse. “They left me without food and water for days,” he recalled. “I was chained in solitary confinement with a camera in my room. Every time I managed to loosen the waist restraints, because they were tied with rope and I would untie them, they would come in, beat me, and throw me back inside.”
Venezuelan authorities accused Luckey-Lange of being a spy, citing his hiking boots as evidence of military affiliation. They also allegedly drew maps of roads and military bases in his notebook in an attempt to incriminate him. “No matter what I said, they didn’t believe me because they really wanted to catch a spy. Everyone wanted to go home and tell their wives, their superiors, that they had caught a spy,” he said.
After initially being held at the DGCIM facility, Luckey-Lange was transferred to El Rodeo prison, where he remained for several weeks with limited access to the outside world.
The case highlights growing concerns about the detention of U.S. Citizens in Venezuela, where, according to a State Department advisory issued on May 27, 2025, individuals face a “significant risk of wrongful detention.” The advisory also notes reports of torture based solely on U.S. Nationality. Similar concerns have been raised regarding the treatment of Venezuelan migrants held in El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison, with reports of torture and abuse documented by Human Rights Watch.
Recent reports from CBS News and Human Rights Watch detail the experiences of individuals deported from the U.S. To El Salvador, where they allege they were subjected to brutal treatment. The U.S. Government deported 252 Venezuelan men to CECOT in March and April of 2025, invoking the Alien Enemies Act, despite credible reports of human rights abuses within the prison system.
