U.S. journalist Cody Weddle working in Venezuela for WPLG-TV detained then freed hours later

Weddle was at the main Caracas-area airport waiting for a U.S.-bound flight, according to the TV station he works for in Miami.A doorman at Cody Weddle's residence said a squad of five men wearing black uniforms demanded entry and left with the journalist in custody. "Being a journalist is not a crime; the world is watching."Kimberly Breier, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, earlier called for Weddle's "immediate release.".@StateDept is aware of and deeply concerned with reports that another U.S. journalist has been detained in #Venezuela by #Maduro, who prefers to stifle the truth rather than face it. We demand the journalist’s immediate release, unharmed.Tensions have been escalating by the day in Venezuela, where U.S.-backed opposition leader Juan Guaidó is seeking to oust Maduro.Weddle has reported from Venezuela for more than four years, most recently working as a freelance journalist for WPLG-TV, the ABC affiliate in Miami, Florida. She said Weddle had been living in Venezuela since June 2014.Cody Weddle's mother still hasn't heard from her son after the Local 10 reporter was detained in Venezuela this morning. https://t.co/gCU8y3eYnROne of WPLG-TV's reporters said the mother has spoken to the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela.UPDATE: I just spoke with Cody Weddle's mother by phone. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott of Florida reacted to the news Wednesday, with Scott calling Weddle's detention "completely unacceptable."Completely unacceptable for @NicolasMaduro and his thugs to detain @WPLGLocal10’s Cody Weddle for reporting on the successful return of the legitimate Venezuelan President @jguaido.He must be released immediately and the U.S. will not stand for this kind of intimidation!