Former hostage envoy challenged Trump admin’s depiction of Maduro

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Former Particular Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens informed CBS' "60 Minutes" that he would not essentially contemplate Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro a "bloodthirsty drug supplier" regardless of the Trump administration's picture of the person.

Carstens, who beforehand served below former President Joe Biden and the primary Trump administration, informed the information program that he "wasn't shocked" on the information that Maduro had been captured by U.S. navy forces on Saturday.

Host Scott Pelley requested Carstens whether or not he agreed with the present Trump administration's violent depiction of Maduro.

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Former Particular Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens spoke to CBS' "60 Minutes" in regards to the Trump administration's Venezuela navy strikes. (Paul Morigi/Getty Pictures)

"I do not assume so," Carstens stated. "And but— let me reply that by this manner. In a technique I may say I am not naïve to the crimes that had been dedicated by the regime writ massive. And should you're the president of a rustic you after all have duty for what's being occur—what's occurring—in your authorities."

He continued, "On the flip facet, I might say that being the individual within the room with President Maduro my job was to get People again and that is finest finished by constructing a really human relationship. And in doing so, I did not discover him to be a bloodthirsty maniac. I discovered him to be— a sensible individual, somebody who wished to seek out methods to unravel the issues—that was— had been confronted by his nation."

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Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro and his spouse had been apprehended by U.S. navy forces on Saturday. (Juan Barreto/AFP through Getty Pictures)

Carstens added that he would not describe Maduro as a world drug supplier primarily based on the information he had acquired in regards to the political chief throughout his time in workplace.

"I believe the— the nation clearly touched medication—and there is data— I at all times must be very— clear that I would see sure quantities of data and there is at all times a treasure trove of data that I've by no means seen or by no means will see on account of classification or compartmentalization. However what I witnessed was not somebody who's essentially hard-core within the drug enterprise. And I will be to see in how the prosecution goes about proving their case," Carstens stated.

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Roger Carstens beforehand negotiated hostage releases with Maduro's authorities. (AP Photograph/Cristian Hernandez)

Throughout his time within the Biden administration, Carstens took half in a number of hostage alternate offers with Venezuela, together with one in 2022 that exchanged seven Americans for 2 nephews of Maduro’s spouse.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White Home for remark.

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President Donald Trump confirmed U.S. navy strikes towards Venezuela on Saturday. He has since stated that till a legit chief replaces Maduro, the U.S. is " going to run" the country .

Lindsay Kornick is an affiliate editor for Fox Information Digital. Story suggestions may be despatched to lindsay.kornick@fox.com and on Twitter: @lmkornick.