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The elation on display was reinforced by Vice President Mike Pence who tweeted that Holt is \"now back home with his family -- where he always belonged.\"

Very glad that Josh Holt is now back home with his family – where he has always belonged. Sanctions continue until democracy returns to Venezuela.

— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) May 26, 2018

Earlier, President Donald Trump said via Twitter that Holt will arrive Saturday night in Washington, D.C., where he will be reunited with his family at the White House.

\"The great people of Utah will be very happy!\"

Good news about the release of the American hostage from Venezuela. Should be landing in D.C. this evening and be in the White House, with his family, at about 7:00 P.M. The great people of Utah will be very happy!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 26, 2018
\"PHOTO:
Rick Bowmer/AP Photo
PHOTO: Laurie Holt holds a photograph of her son Joshua Holt at her home, in Riverton, Utah in this July 13, 2016 file photo.
>

Holt will be returning to the United States with his wife, Thamara Caleño.

The Mormon missionary traveled to Venezuela in June 2016 to marry Caleño, whom he met on an online Mormon dating site. Holt planned to return to the United States with his new wife and two stepchildren, but they never made it back.

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 were imprisoned in Caracas awaiting trial ever since. Holt and his family maintain they were wrongly accused.

Holt's parents have said their son was kept in appalling conditions, with meager food and limited access to health services, at El Helicoide, the infamous political prison in central Caracas. He had lost a considerable amount of weight and was suffering from kidney stones and painful tooth decay, they said.

They called the release of their son and his wife a \"miracle.\"

\"We thank you for your collaboration during this time of anguish,\" Holt's family said in a statement to The Associated Press on Saturday. \"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 their release comes just days after Venezuela's presidential election. 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.

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