American James Luckey-Lange reported held by Venezuela’s military counterintelligence

James Luckey-Lange, a 28-year-old American from Staten Island who went missing in Venezuela in early December, is being held in the detention center run by Venezuela’s military counterintelligence in Caracas, a Venezuelan familiar with the matter said.

The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose the information, said Mr. Luckey-Lange was detained shortly after crossing into southern Venezuela from Brazil and was apprehended while meeting local musicians. The location of Mr. Luckey-Lange had previously been unknown. It is unclear if he had the visa required for American citizens to enter Venezuela.

Mr. Luckey-Lange had written to a friend on Dec. 7 that he was at an unspecified location in Venezuela and spoke to his family the next day, saying he was heading to Caracas to catch a flight on Dec. 12 to return to New York. He is the son of the musician Diane Luckey, who performed as Q Lazzarus and is best known for the 1988 single "Goodbye Horses."

The Times has reported that Mr. Luckey-Lange is one of several Americans detained in Venezuela in recent months, though the identities of the other detainees are unknown. The article said the U.S. government had considered designating him wrongfully detained. Venezuela’s communication ministry and the U.S. Department of State did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Key Topics

World, James Luckey-lange, Venezuela, Military Counterintelligence, Caracas, Staten Island