Matthew John Heath

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Matthew John Heath is a United States citizen who was arrested by the government of Venezuela in September 2020 and subsequently charged with offenses related to terrorism and arms trafficking. Heath is a former member of the U.S. Marine Corps where he specialized in signals intelligence and had previously worked for a MVM, Inc., a Virginia-based private security contractor.[1]

Heath had set sail in the Caribbean on a trawler called the "Purple Dream" in March 2020, and had sailed to Nicaragua and Colombia. He was arrested along with five others in Colombia after being found with a handgun at a checkpoint. After being released from jail in Colombia he traveled to Venezuela ostensibly in an attempt to return home to the United States but was arrested again. Venezuelan authorities claim to have arrested Heath as he was in possession of an AT4 rocket launcher, an Uzi sub-machine gun, C4 explosives, pictures of a nearby oil refinery, and foreign currency. His lawyer has called the charges against him falsified.[2] Additionally, Heath has been imprisoned in the notorious "House of Dreams" prison and his family has accused the Venezuelan government of torturing him.[3]

Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek Saab labeled Heath a "mercenary" and accused him of attempting to destabilize the country. In February 2021, Venezuelan judicial authorities ordered that a trial begin for Heath. The U.S. State Department has called upon the Venezuelan government to provide a fair hearing for Heath.[4]

References[]

  1. ^ WTVC, JOSHUA GOODMAN Associated Press/ (2020-10-31). "Mystery surrounds former Marine's imprisonment in Venezuela". WTVC. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  2. ^ "Mystery surrounds former Marine's imprisonment in Venezuela". AP NEWS. 2021-04-20. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  3. ^ Carden, Curtis (2021-02-26). "Family of Matthew Heath asking for Biden Administration to get involved with son's imprisonment in Venezuela". WATE 6 On Your Side. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  4. ^ "Trial of US citizen charged with terrorism in Venezuela to begin - Courts News". Al Jazeera. 2021-02-25. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
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