By Mike Hellgren
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BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The United States’ intervention in Venezuela could reshape the nation.
The past few weeks have been some of the most pivotal in Venezuelan history, with the capture of President Nicolas Maduro now facing narcoterrorism charges in the U.S., and the battle over who should lead next.
Two local brothers who were captured and held hostage in Venezuela revealed new details about their ordeal to WJZ Investigates and spoke about their hope for a stable future for the country.
The Oribio brothers know firsthand about the human rights abuses in Venezuela after both were wrongfully detained while visiting their native country on January 7, 2025.
“I’m very hopeful things will improve significantly,” said Ronald Oribio, a petroleum geologist with a background in the oil and gas industry. “There are still many people in jail and human rights are still being violated.”
His brother Erick Oribio told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren, “Many people ask us about torture, but in my opinion, when it’s a wrongful detention, from the first minute, it is torture.”
They described how it all began. Some of these details have never before been publicly revealed.
“The moment we were detained, we were pulled over and six to seven policemen got out of a vehicle, pointing guns at us without asking any questions, without making any indication that we had done anything wrong, which of course we had not,” Ronald Oribio said.
His brother, Erick, a long-time politically influential voice in Baltimore’s Hispanic community and publisher of Latin Opinion, revealed that Nicolas Meduro’s regime falsely believed he was working with U.S. intelligence.
“The reason why is someone complained—we don’t know who yet—that I was an FBI agent, that I was a CIA agent, that I sent guns from Florida to Venezuela door-to-door by FedEx,” Erick Oribio said. “And I flew to Venezuela. I was there to receive the guns to kill the president.”
“Of course, those were false allegations and accusations,” Ronald Oribio said. “Later, they understood and found out there was nothing at all regarding FBI connections, but then we were just kept hostage as bargaining chips—for leverage—political leverage.”
The brothers said they were housed in a small cell—just six feet by six feet—and forced to wear face coverings any time they left.
But at least they were together.
“At times, we would not be able to see anything,” Ronald Oribio said. “It was terrifying. We were deprived of any communications with the outside world. We had no access to legal counsel. It was frightening, the level of uncertainty, not having any information about our families. They probably thought we were just missing or we were dead. So many things went through our minds.”
The Oribio brothers lived like that for 193 days while bipartisan diplomatic efforts to free them were happening behind the scenes.
During their detention, the brothers said there had been several false reports that they would be released.
“After so many months of going through so much psychological terror, we didn’t want to create any more expectations,” Ronald Oribio said.
But this time it was real.
On July 18, 2025, they were flown to El Salvador and gained their freedom as part of a prisoner swap.
“We were wearing some freedom T-shirts made by Under Armour. Very Baltimore. I was proud,” Erick Oribio recalled. “Since the beginning, I felt it was a miracle. I was full of gratitude. I still feel that way.”
Last week, the Oribio brothers were at the White House for the visit of Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
As for who should run the country next, the answer is complicated.
“During this transition time, it may not be the right time to say who should run the country. Obviously, the country should be run by that leader that has the support of the majority of the Venezuelan population,” Ronald Oribio said. “If after the transition or as part of the transition, new elections need to take place, that may be a suitable solution.”
Erick Oribio shared many of his thoughts in Spanish, including on his release from detention and on Maduro’s future. You can watch them here.
The brothers brought a flag to the interview that represents hostages and those wrongfully detained as they closely watch what is next for Venezuela.
Ronald Oribio said it worries him “knowing what is still going on, knowing some of the friends we made in prison are still there, and knowing some of them have been sentenced just recently to many years in prison, being innocents.”
While they are optimistic about the future and would like to visit Venezuela again, Ronald Oribio said, “It is not safe for us to go back at this moment…We feel it is going to be the new Venezuela soon, we hope.”
Both brothers plan to write books about their hostage experience.
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