Rick Grinnell

These are all innocent human issues, and it's our job to explain that. So some of these individuals, it's going to take some time, but we are very focused on making the case and sharing the information to be able to get the others out But we did have six. We were able to successfully argue that these six were absolutely innocent. They're not political in nature and they deserve to come home.

These are all innocent human issues, and it's our job to explain that. So some of these individuals, it's going to take some time, but we are very focused on making the case and sharing the information to be able to get the others out But we did have six. We were able to successfully argue that these six were absolutely innocent. They're not political in nature and they deserve to come home.

And we were able to picture. Yeah, it was pretty amazing.

And we were able to picture. Yeah, it was pretty amazing.

Some of them were young, although the guy in the middle was young.

Some of them were young, although the guy in the middle was young.

I have to tell one story, Megan, that I haven't told anybody this publicly, and it's pretty remarkable. You'll see if you pull up that picture that four of them are in kind of their prison blue uniforms and two are in regular uniform. And what happened was we negotiated for six and the four in blue actually had said when we got on the plane, so they said, where are the other two?

I have to tell one story, Megan, that I haven't told anybody this publicly, and it's pretty remarkable. You'll see if you pull up that picture that four of them are in kind of their prison blue uniforms and two are in regular uniform. And what happened was we negotiated for six and the four in blue actually had said when we got on the plane, so they said, where are the other two?

We were released into this room and we had the other two guys with us and they asked us to shave and to get ready, get cleaned up. And two of the individuals said, we're not doing this again. We've done this four or five times. This is fake. We're not doing this again. And they refused to follow the rules and get cleaned up.

We were released into this room and we had the other two guys with us and they asked us to shave and to get ready, get cleaned up. And two of the individuals said, we're not doing this again. We've done this four or five times. This is fake. We're not doing this again. And they refused to follow the rules and get cleaned up.

The other four did, and what ended up happening over time that we only learned later was that the Venezuelan government found two other Americans to replace them. They didn't have time to get everything together, so they were in their plain clothes, and that's why there are two others not in blue.

The other four did, and what ended up happening over time that we only learned later was that the Venezuelan government found two other Americans to replace them. They didn't have time to get everything together, so they were in their plain clothes, and that's why there are two others not in blue.

It's heartbreaking to think that there were two individuals that could have been released, but they thought that once again, this was just a head fake from the Venezuelan government. And so they refused to play the game, not knowing, not realizing that this was for real.

It's heartbreaking to think that there were two individuals that could have been released, but they thought that once again, this was just a head fake from the Venezuelan government. And so they refused to play the game, not knowing, not realizing that this was for real.

Yeah, there's at least six. We think we found another two because we interviewed these individuals. As you can imagine, if you're in prison, one of the first things the State Department does is to say, who else is there? Are there other Americans? Give us information about who's there. And so we're working on that. We will absolutely go back.

Yeah, there's at least six. We think we found another two because we interviewed these individuals. As you can imagine, if you're in prison, one of the first things the State Department does is to say, who else is there? Are there other Americans? Give us information about who's there. And so we're working on that. We will absolutely go back.

Part of our work is to really push them to show the facts, right? Because these individuals are not terrorists. They're not trying to kill the president and the vice president. That's what the Venezuelans believe. So it's our job to convince them, show them the facts, and to actually dig in. This is what the Biden team didn't do. The Biden team didn't even send anyone to the prisons.

Part of our work is to really push them to show the facts, right? Because these individuals are not terrorists. They're not trying to kill the president and the vice president. That's what the Venezuelans believe. So it's our job to convince them, show them the facts, and to actually dig in. This is what the Biden team didn't do. The Biden team didn't even send anyone to the prisons.

These individuals that you're looking at They didn't even get a wellness check from the Biden administration. They had no idea what was going on. Is that protocol, Rick, to at least get a wellness check? Of course. Of course. That's what we do as American diplomats is to at least get wellness check and to say, do you have a lawyer? We're working on your case. Give them information.

These individuals that you're looking at They didn't even get a wellness check from the Biden administration. They had no idea what was going on. Is that protocol, Rick, to at least get a wellness check? Of course. Of course. That's what we do as American diplomats is to at least get wellness check and to say, do you have a lawyer? We're working on your case. Give them information.