Rep. Nicole Malliotakis says she has urged the State Department to assist after media reports that a constituent, identified locally as James Luckey-Lange, may be detained in Venezuela. Her office contacted the State Department after learning of the reports and says officials have elevated the matter to the White House and Secretary of State while monitoring the situation. The State Department, citing privacy and safety, declined to provide further details. Local outlets report the possible detention began after a December arrival, and it remains unclear whether the individual has been formally classified as wrongfully detained.
GOP Lawmaker Presses State Department After Constituent Reportedly Detained in Venezuela
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, June 18, 2025.
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) says she has asked the U.S. State Department to intervene after media reports that one of her constituents may be detained by Venezuelan authorities.
Malliotakis told Fox News Digital she learned of the possible detention from news reports and has been "advocating for the State Department to assist" in determining the citizen's status and securing his release if necessary. Local reporting has identified the individual as James Luckey-Lange.
Venezuelan citizens celebrate during a rally after Nicolás Maduro's capture, on Jan. 3, 2026, in Cúcuta, Colombia.
"My biggest issue at the moment is that I have a constituent that is suspected of being unlawfully detained by the Venezuelan government," Malliotakis said.
Her office said it immediately contacted the State Department after learning of the reports and has urged the agency to use its leverage to obtain information and help. The congresswoman added that the constituent was believed to have been held for "a couple of weeks" prior to recent developments in Caracas.
In a written statement, Malliotakis' office noted that while the family suspects an unlawful detention, it is not yet clear whether the State Department has formally designated the case as a wrongful detention. The office said officials have "elevated our concern directly to the White House and the Secretary of State," that the State Department has been in contact with the family, and that they are actively monitoring the situation.
Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in handcuffs, are escorted into an armored car en route to a federal courthouse in Manhattan on Jan. 5, 2026, in New York City.
A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital: "The United States has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens. We are aware of reports of U.S. citizens detained in Venezuela. Due to privacy and safety concerns, we have nothing further at this time."
The comments from Malliotakis followed a classified, House-wide briefing led by senior Trump administration officials on U.S. operations related to Venezuela. Recent, high-profile developments in the country include the reported extraction of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores, after precision strikes in Caracas; U.S. authorities say they now face terrorism-related charges in the Southern District of New York.
Local media in Staten Island, citing the New York Post, reported that Luckey-Lange may have arrived in Venezuela in December and that it is unclear whether he entered on a visa. The State Department has for months advised Americans not to travel to Venezuela because of the high risk of wrongful detention of U.S. nationals.
With privacy and safety considerations limiting public detail, Malliotakis and federal officials say they are working to confirm the facts and hope the constituent will soon return safely to the United States.
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