An American jailed for two years without a trial in Venezuela returned home to Utah on Monday with the Venezuelan wife he had originally traveled to the Latin American nation to marry.
Josh Holt arrived at Salt Lake City International airport on Monday evening with his wife Thamara Caleno.
“We want to thank all the people that supported us," Holt told ABC affiliate KTVX. "The whole time we were over there it was hard but we definitely felt the help and the support of the people here. I want to say thank you to all the many prayers that were given on our behalf.”
His release followed months of negotiations between the U.S. and Venezuelan governments, according to federal officials.
American jailed in Venezuela for 2 years to return home to US, officials say Trump welcomes freed Venezuelan prisoner to White HouseHolt first reunited with family in Washington D.C on Saturday and visited the White House to meet President Donald Trump.
“You’ve gone through a lot," Trump told Holt, according to the Associated Press. "More than most people could endure."
Holt, a Mormon missionary, traveled to Venezuela in June 2016 to marry Caleno, whom he met on an online Mormon dating site. Holt had originally planned to return to the United States with his new wife and two stepchildren.
The newlyweds were awaiting visas when Venezuelan police raided their apartment and arrested them on charges of terrorism espionage and illegal possession of weapons. They both had been imprisoned in Caracas awaiting trial. Holt and his family maintain they were wrongly accused.
Holt was kept in awful conditions at El Helicoide, the infamous prison in central Caracas, with little access to food and health services, according to a statement his parents released on Saturday to the AP. They said their son lost a lot of weight and suffered from kidney stones and painful tooth decay.
"We thank you for your collaboration during this time of anguish," Holt's family said in the statement. "We ask that you allow us to meet with our son and his wife before giving any interviews and statements. We are grateful to all who participated in this miracle."
The news of the couple's release came just days after the presidential election in Venezuela. Nicolas Maduro was re-elected last Sunday for a second six-year term in a vote the United States denounced and said it won't recognize.
ABC News' Morgan Winsor and Meridith McGraw contributed to this report