Loved ones were overjoyed when a Los Angeles public defender was one of ten American prisoners in Venezuela who were released Wednesday in a prisoner exchange.
The Americans were swapped for an ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The ally, a fugitive defense contractor known as “Fat Leonard,” is at the center of a Pentagon bribery scandal, according to the Associated Press.
One of the released prisoners is L.A. native, Eyvin Hernandez, a 44-year-old L.A. County Public Defender whose loved ones said has been wrongfully detained in a Venezuelan jail for nearly two years.
In March 2022, Hernandez was vacationing in South America when he was kidnapped near the border of Colombia and Venezuela. He was accused of being an American spy after refusing to pay a $100 bribe to a gang, his family said.
For months, Hernandez’s family pleaded with the Biden administration to negotiate his release. As Hernandez and eight other prisoners landed in the U.S. on Wednesday, the group appeared very happy to be home.
“I’m incredibly grateful to my family, to my friends and to President Biden for getting me home, getting all of us home,” Hernandez said. “Honestly, all you think about in prison is how you didn’t appreciate being free. There’s no way to understand what it’s like to be imprisoned unjustly and not have any way out.”
Following news of his freedom, his family released a statement saying in part:
“For over 21 months, he has endured horrible conditions and abuse. We were notified this morning that Eyvin was on his way home. It was literally an early Christmas present for our family. Our first priority is to ensure that he gets the medical support he needs so that can recover from his time in captivity. He will talk about his experience when he is ready. For now, we want to thank everyone who helped obtain Eyvin’s release.”
The UCLA School of Law graduate was born in El Salvador in 1978. He came to the U.S. as a toddler with his family while fleeing the Salvadoran Civil War and grew up in the L.A. Area.
Hernandez received both his Bachelor’s and law degrees from UCLA before joining the L.A. County Public Defender’s Office in 2006.
President Biden’s Wednesday announcement marks the largest release of American prisoners in Venezuela’s history.
“They’re in an aircraft on their way home to the United States,” Biden said. “We’ve secured the release of every American being held in Venezuela.”
The deal involves President Maduro agreeing to “work toward free and fair conditions for the 2024 presidential election,” the AP reports, in exchange for the suspension of some U.S. sanctions.
“Eyvin should have never had to endure arrest and detention in Venezuela by Maduro’s government agents,” said California Congresswoman Nanette Barragán. “I am proud to have helped lead the calls for his release alongside Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and I am very happy that he will be able to spend the holidays where he belongs – at home with his family and friends. Thank you, President Biden for never forgetting about Eyvin and for your Administration’s hard work to ensure the safe release of our fellow Angeleno.”