November 20th, 2020

Airan Berry & Luke Denman

In this month’s hostage spotlight, we will shed light on two special individuals, Airan Berry and Luke Denman, who are currently illegally held in Venezuela. We picked these individuals because we believe their story is being misrepresented and we are hoping to shed light on it so that we can push for their release with the help of the US government.

Airan and Luke were both in the special forces and dedicated their life to helping innocents, combating terrorism, and fighting for their country. They were arrested in early May 2020 by the Maduro regime while on a boat ride in Colombia, unarmed in shorts and t-shirts. The Venezuelan government illegally detained them and sentenced them to 20 years in prison without the presence of an attorney. Their condition in the Venezuelan prison is unknown and their families are not allowed to see them.

Venezuela’s government is not to be trusted. Amidst all the crimes that the Maduro regime commits, it also works with the terrorist group Hezbollah. The U.S government should not rely on the Maduro regime to give these two men a fair and just trial. As we have seen in many similar cases, these types of corrupt governments are using American Citizens as political pawns. Very little information is being sent to the families involved and they are currently living under stress and anxiety, waiting to hear from their loved ones.

Airan Berry, who has been married to his wife for 20 years and has two children, is a US citizen that was currently living in Germany next to his wife’s family before he got taken. Luke Alexander Denman loved to travel with his girlfriend and their two rescue dogs. He was awarded the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and he is passionate about the prevention of veteran suicide. In addition to his role in the forces, he is an animal lover, and he fosters and adopts animals.