A U.S. Navy sailor is being held in Venezuela after visiting the country during personal leave, without proper approval from military officials, according to reports.

White House National Security Spokesperson John Kirby confirmed the sailor’s detention during a press briefing.

“As I understand it, this individual was engaged in personal travel and not on government business,” Kirby stated. “We’re actively communicating with Venezuelan authorities to gain further insight into the situation.”

The State Department has also indicated that it is monitoring the situation closely.

The reasons for the sailor’s detention are still unclear, but this incident comes amidst ongoing discord between Washington and Caracas, the capital of Venezuela.

Charges Against Edmundo González in Presidential Election Controversy

The attorney general’s office in Venezuela announced on Monday that a court has issued an arrest warrant for opposition leader Edmundo González, according to Reuters.

González faces accusations of conspiracy and related offenses in the wake of disputes regarding the outcomes of the July election against President Nicolas Maduro. Several Western nations and international organizations, including a UN panel of experts, have raised concerns about the election’s integrity, some alleging fraud by Maduro’s administration.

The State Department commented, “González received the most votes in the July 28 presidential election, and this arbitrary, politically driven action is a significant low for Nicolás Maduro’s relentless effort to suppress his political rivals following his attempts to hijack the July election.”

The arrest warrant was issued mere hours after President Joe Biden’s administration confiscated a plane linked to Maduro in the Dominican Republic over violations of U.S. sanctions, as reported by Reuters. The Venezuelan government denounced Biden’s actions as “piracy.”

State Department’s Ongoing Warnings for Travelers to Venezuela

The State Department has long advised U.S. citizens to avoid traveling to Venezuela due to widespread violent crime, including homicides, armed robberies, kidnappings, and carjackings.

“The Department has identified a high risk of wrongful detentions of U.S. nationals in Venezuela. Security forces have held U.S. citizens for up to five years. Furthermore, the U.S. government often is not notified about the arrests of U.S. citizens in Venezuela or allowed to access U.S. citizens imprisoned there,” the department stated.

Protests against Maduro’s government have faced aggressive responses from police and security forces, including the use of tear gas, pepper spray, and rubber bullets, and sometimes escalate into looting and vandalism, according to the State Department. The country is also struggling with severe shortages in gasoline, electricity, water, and healthcare supplies.

Contributing: Reuters