Rick Grinnell

Well, first of all, I have to say I'm still really emotional about what happened Friday. It was probably the highlight of my career to be able to represent America, to represent the president, and to watch what was happening in real time, to negotiate. Not only did we get the hostages back without paying a penny and without trading any hostages, which is really important.

Well, first of all, I have to say I'm still really emotional about what happened Friday. It was probably the highlight of my career to be able to represent America, to represent the president, and to watch what was happening in real time, to negotiate. Not only did we get the hostages back without paying a penny and without trading any hostages, which is really important.

But we also got the Venezuelan government to bring their planes to the United States to take illegal immigrants in our country from Venezuela back to Venezuela. They are sending the planes, and they are paying for it. I think this is the new standard. It's pretty amazing. But the negotiations were obviously very secret. I left Friday morning super early.

But we also got the Venezuelan government to bring their planes to the United States to take illegal immigrants in our country from Venezuela back to Venezuela. They are sending the planes, and they are paying for it. I think this is the new standard. It's pretty amazing. But the negotiations were obviously very secret. I left Friday morning super early.

I went on an Air Force plane, had Air Force protection. The Air Force is amazing. They've got young people who just are totally committed and working in secret and working around the clock. We flew out of Washington, D.C. We landed in Caracas and made our way into the presidential palace. There hadn't been a White House official there in Caracas in a very long time.

I went on an Air Force plane, had Air Force protection. The Air Force is amazing. They've got young people who just are totally committed and working in secret and working around the clock. We flew out of Washington, D.C. We landed in Caracas and made our way into the presidential palace. There hadn't been a White House official there in Caracas in a very long time.

And I started negotiating with the Maduro team and then eventually with Nicolas Maduro. And it was pretty... amazing to be there and to negotiate on behalf of the U.S. But we had a clear mandate from President Trump. He knew he knew what he wanted. We knew what the parameters were and the pressure was on to deliver.

And I started negotiating with the Maduro team and then eventually with Nicolas Maduro. And it was pretty... amazing to be there and to negotiate on behalf of the U.S. But we had a clear mandate from President Trump. He knew he knew what he wanted. We knew what the parameters were and the pressure was on to deliver.

first of all, to get the illegal immigrants in our country back to Venezuela. And they needed to accept all of these individuals, including the awful group, the Tren de Aragua. And we needed to make them realize that they had to take them back. And we went for everything by saying, you need to provide the planes. You need to pay for it. You need to come get them.

first of all, to get the illegal immigrants in our country back to Venezuela. And they needed to accept all of these individuals, including the awful group, the Tren de Aragua. And we needed to make them realize that they had to take them back. And we went for everything by saying, you need to provide the planes. You need to pay for it. You need to come get them.

And there are, you know, hundreds of thousands. And so there's going to be a big group going back to Caracas. And then the president wanted us to focus on the hostages. You know, there are 12 hostages Americans, at least. We may have found a couple of more while we were there that are, in essence, hostages. They're held on really lame charges. But we had a conversation about the individuals.

And there are, you know, hundreds of thousands. And so there's going to be a big group going back to Caracas. And then the president wanted us to focus on the hostages. You know, there are 12 hostages Americans, at least. We may have found a couple of more while we were there that are, in essence, hostages. They're held on really lame charges. But we had a conversation about the individuals.

It's the Venezuelans government position. It's Nicolas Maduro's position. that some of these individuals were arrested because of terrorism charges or individuals that were trying to kill the president of Venezuela or the vice president.

It's the Venezuelans government position. It's Nicolas Maduro's position. that some of these individuals were arrested because of terrorism charges or individuals that were trying to kill the president of Venezuela or the vice president.

And what I said to Nicolas Maduro very clearly, I said, look, if you've got evidence that individuals were trying to kill you or the vice president, those are serious issues. We should absolutely prosecute those individuals. We are with you on that. We agree on that. However, we need to share information because our information doesn't say that.

And what I said to Nicolas Maduro very clearly, I said, look, if you've got evidence that individuals were trying to kill you or the vice president, those are serious issues. We should absolutely prosecute those individuals. We are with you on that. We agree on that. However, we need to share information because our information doesn't say that.

Our information says that some of these individuals were simply working in the military, a former Navy SEAL who didn't do anything wrong, but you're reading their background and pretending like they were there and sent there by the US government. We in the U.S.

Our information says that some of these individuals were simply working in the military, a former Navy SEAL who didn't do anything wrong, but you're reading their background and pretending like they were there and sent there by the US government. We in the U.S.

understand that there are millions of people who served in the military and who then leave the military and proudly carry their military experience with them as they go into life, whether they're vacationing in Colombia and going over the border accidentally into Venezuela, or meeting a woman that they were interested in for the weekend in Venezuela.

understand that there are millions of people who served in the military and who then leave the military and proudly carry their military experience with them as they go into life, whether they're vacationing in Colombia and going over the border accidentally into Venezuela, or meeting a woman that they were interested in for the weekend in Venezuela.