Wife of former U.S. detainee released after year in Venezuelan prison

The wife of a once-detained American citizen was released this week after being held in a Venezuelan prison for more than a year following her arrest while traveling to the South American country to meet her family.

Renzo Humanchumo Castillo, a Peruvian American who was detained by Venezuelan authorities for nearly a year, told Fox News Digital that his Venezuelan wife, Rosa Carolina Chirino Zambrano, was released after her friend and the taxi driver they were having an affair with were imprisoned and accused of espionage due to their contact with him.

He said he spoke with Zambrano after his release, their first contact since they were confronted by Venezuelan authorities near the country’s border with Colombia in December 2024.

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“It was surreal,” Castillo recalled of the conversation. “The tears flowed, but it was like… ‘Hey baby, I’m leaving.’ My real concern now is how do I get her here.”

Castillo, who lives in Southern California, was detained after crossing the Venezuelan border with his wife and his friend in a taxi. After being questioned at length by Venezuelan authorities, he was charged with terrorism and conspiracy to kill the country’s then-president, Nicolas Maduro, who was recently captured by US forces in a daring military operation.

“They sent me as a professional hitman by the CIA, and I was there to overthrow the government and kill Maduro and Diosdado (Cabello),” Castillo said.

A tank belonging to the Venezuelan national guard stands in front of El Rodeo prison in Venezuela. ((Photo: Pedro MATTEY/AFP via Getty Images)

Diosdado Cabello, known as “The Octopus”, runs Venezuela’s security apparatus and is considered one of the country’s most feared government figures. The US accused him of narco-terrorism and several other crimes. The State Department offered a $25 million reward for his arrest and conviction.

“Cabello featured me on the news and then put me on a list saying I came here to overthrow the government,” Castillo said. “Me and some other Americans.”

Castillo was released in a prisoner swap in July 2025 after spending months in Venezuela’s notorious “El Rodeo” prison. However, his wife remained in custody.

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A woman uses a mobile phone in a tent set up by relatives of political prisoners in front of El Rodeo I prison in Guatire, Miranda State, east of Caracas, on January 13. ((Photo: Pedro MATTEY / AFP via Getty Images)\)

Castillo said he was initially questioned by Venezuelan authorities, who accused him of being a “commando” or some kind of military operator.

A search of his cell phone raised their suspicions when they found images of him wearing a protective vest and other tactical gear. But Castillo said he worked in private security and executive protection and had never served in the military.

He said the equipment was used for business.

He said he was eventually detained and transferred to “El Rodeo” where he endured beatings and other forms of torture. He was once hung by his arms like a piñata and beaten.

“They hung me. As if my feet were still touching the ground,” he said. “They hit me for maybe at least five to eight hours, just hanging on… they didn’t even ask questions anymore. But you can feel the joy, how much they want to hit me, hurt me, you know?”

He said Castillo got into trouble several times while in prison for talking through a window in his cell and sometimes getting updates on events outside the facility. Stressed about not knowing what happened to his wife, he went on a hunger strike in an effort to write a letter to her, he said.

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Members of the Bolivarian National Militia patrol a street in the 23 de Enero neighborhood during a military exercise on January 23, 2025 in Caracas, Venezuela. (Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters)

Castillo met Zambrano during a visit to Peru to reunite with old classmates from elementary school. One night, he went to a bar with his friends, and there the two met and struck up a friendship.

This was followed by many trips to Peru, where she lived before her marriage. Castillo said the couple met in Colombia on his last trip and traveled overland to his home country to meet his father-in-law for the first time.

After crossing the Colombian-Venezuelan border, they were detained separately and their misfortune began.

Because Zambrano is a Venezuelan citizen, she was not part of the prisoner swap that freed her husband. Although he is now free, he is still under the custody of the Venezuelan government, Castillo said.

Meanwhile, Castillo is working to get Zambrano to California. He said he plans to apply to the State Department. Despite his wife’s citizenship status, Maduro’s optimism increased after he was captured earlier this month.

Side by side photo of President Donald Trump and Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez. (Joe Raedle/Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images)

“At that moment, I felt like I could see my wife again,” he said. “My chances of seeing my wife again went from zero to a hundred. It really lifted my spirits.”

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“Americans and foreigners had to be kidnapped so the world could see Venezuela,” he said.

Venezuela’s interim government on Tuesday released at least four Americans imprisoned during the Maduro regime. The statement was the first involving US citizens since Maduro was captured by US forces.

“We welcome the release of Americans detained in Venezuela,” a State Department official said Tuesday. he said. “This is an important step in the right direction by the interim authorities.”

Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are seen in handcuffs after landing at a helipad in Manhattan; They board an armored vehicle, escorted by heavily armed Federal agents, en route to the Federal courthouse in Manhattan in New York City on January 5, 2026. (XNY/Star Max/GC Images)

On Wednesday, Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodriguez said she spoke by phone with President Donald Trump during a “long and courteous” call. The two discussed “issues pending between our governments, as well as the bilateral working agenda that will benefit our peoples.”

On Truth Social, Trump said the topics of discussion were oil, minerals, trade and national security.

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“This partnership between the United States and Venezuela will be a wonderful partnership FOR EVERYONE. Venezuela will soon be great and prosperous again, perhaps more than ever before!” wrote.

Castillo praised the Trump administration for addressing the Maduro regime and its action in Venezuela.

“I feel like the current administration is doing the hard work that hasn’t been done yet,” he said. “They’re doing things now that people sometimes don’t want to see and are afraid to say. And I’m very grateful to the administration. I’m very grateful to my president. I’m very grateful to (Secretary of State) Marco Rubio because they did all of that. They got us out.”