President Donald Trump announced on Friday that six Americans held in Venezuela were returning to the United States, following a meeting in Caracas between his envoy, Richard Grenell, and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

“I’ve just been informed that we are bringing six hostages home from Venezuela,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “Thank you to Ric Grenell and my entire staff. Great job!”

The meeting was particularly noteworthy as the US does not officially recognise Maduro’s presidency, which has been challenged by opposition leaders who claim he rigged last year’s elections.

While US officials have not disclosed the identities of the released detainees, Grenell shared a photo on X showing himself with the men aboard a plane, marking their return home.

A photo shared by Richard Grenell reveals four of the six Americans released from Venezuelan detention wearing light blue uniforms typical of the country’s prison system. In his post, Grenell stated, “We are wheels up and headed home with these six American citizens. They just spoke to President Trump, and they couldn’t stop thanking him.”

The legitimacy of President Maduro’s third term has been challenged by Venezuela’s opposition, which has presented thousands of voting results indicating their candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, emerged victorious in last July’s election. The claim is supported by independent observers, including the Carter Center and the Colombian Electoral Mission.

In September, the US seized Maduro’s airplane, further underscoring the strained relations between the two nations.

The release of six American detainees in Venezuela followed a meeting between Grenell and Maduro, which was anticipated to address the deportation of Venezuelan nationals from Trump has emphasized his campaign promise for mass deportations, but Maduro has consistently refused to accept Venezuelan nationals back, complicating repatriation efforts due to strained relations.

Edmundo Gonzalez, recognised by the US as Venezuela’s president-elect and a guest at Trump’s inauguration, has cautioned against any agreements with Maduro concerning deportation flights.

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As Grenell approached the meeting, Trump faced questions about whether his envoy’s photo with Maduro would lend legitimacy to the Venezuelan leader. The president expressed his desire to “do something with Venezuela,” while reaffirming his opposition to Maduro, stating, “They’ve treated us not so good, but more importantly, they’ve treated the Venezuelan people very badly.”

In a speech to the judiciary later that evening, Maduro announced that the discussions with Grenell had resulted in some initial agreements and expressed hope for “new deals for the good of the two countries and the region.” He said: “President Donald Trump, we have made a first step, hopefully it can continue,” according to Reuters.