“All you think about when you’re in prison is how you didn’t appreciate being free while you were free,” Hernandez told an interviewer on Wednesday, Dec. 20, minutes after he and five other freed Americans landed at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas. “There’s no way to understand what it’s like to be in prison unjustly and not have any way out.”
President Joe Biden said a total of 10 Americans who had been detained in Venezuela were released as part of the deal, including six “wrongfully detained Americans.”
“These individuals have lost far too much precious time with their loved ones, and their families have suffered every day in their absence,” Biden said in a statement. “I am grateful that their ordeal is finally over, and that these families are being made whole once more.”
Hernandez was among those released in the exchange, which also included the extradition of convicted military contractor Leonard Glenn “Fat Leonard” Francis, who escaped home arrest in San Diego last year after pleading guilty to bribing Navy officials.
“For over 21 months, he has endured horrible conditions and abuse… Our first priority is to ensure that he gets the medical support he needs so that he 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,” Hernandez’s family said in a statement Wednesday afternoon.
The family added, “Even as we celebrate Eyvin’s release, we remember all of the Americans who remain wrongfully detained abroad and we hold close to our hearts a wish that they are all returned to their families as soon as possible.”
Garrett Miller, president of the Los Angeles County Public Defenders Union, Local 148, said in a statement he was “thrilled that Eyvin will be coming home and that this ordeal is finally over.”
“I can’t even imagine how traumatizing this has been for Eyvin, and our union will do all it can to support him in the coming months,” Miller said. “Eyvin has been deeply missed by his fellow Local 148 members, and we can’t wait to see him again.
County Public Defender Ricardo Garcia said, “On behalf of all 1,100 members of the Public Defender’s Office, I want to extend our gratitude to the Administration and everyone who has fought so hard to make this day a reality. We are looking forward to the time when, after he’s had time to recover and rest, Evyin will return to his rightful place as an advocate in court for the indigent and vulnerable of Los Angeles County.”
Hernandez, a Los Angeles County deputy public defender for 15 years, was on vacation in Colombia when he joined a friend on a trip to the Colombian-Venezuelan border to resolve a passport issue involving the friend’s stay in Venezuela. At the border, Hernandez and his friend were intercepted by what has been described in various reports as either a paramilitary group, a gang or official Venezuelan forces. Hernandez and his friend were eventually turned over to Venezuelan security forces and jailed in a maximum security prison in Caracas. Hernandez was accused of criminal association and conspiracy, which are punishable by up to 16 years in prison in Venezuela.
Over the past nearly two years, various public officials have sent letters to the White House urging the administration to secure Hernandez’s release. The county Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion last year asking the administration and other federal elected officials to work for his release.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger said, “Mr. Hernandez was an innocent bystander caught up in a political power play by the Venezuelan government and has suffered tremendously. I want him and his family to know that our County and its resources stand by to help him recover from this terrible, unjust ordeal. His return is a reminder that we should keep fighting for what we know is right, and to not give up hope.”
Also among the Americans released Wednesday was Savoi Wright, who grew up in Oakland and earned a business degree at Loyola Marymount University. In exchange for the return of Americans, the United States agreed to release Alex Saab, a close ally of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Saab had been awaiting trial on money laundering charges.
Previous related story: LACo supervisors press feds to secure release of public defender from Venezuela
–