Los Angeles attorney jailed in Venezuela pleads for Biden administration's help
Henry Martinez explains how his brother, Eyvin Hernandez, was detained while on vacation and L.A. deputy public defender Drew Havens explains efforts to secure Hernandez's release.
Henry Martinez pleaded Friday for the Biden administration to help secure the release of his brother, Eyvin Hernandez, who is jailed in Venezuela. Martinez, however, said he’s heard no response from the White House.
Hernandez, a Los Angeles attorney, was arrested six months ago at the Colombian border while on vacation. Martinez said it was a traumatic experience for his brother.
Hernandez said he and other American detainees are beginning to feel abandoned by the Biden administration.
"Two people have already tried to commit suicide, and one is on the brink with daily mental health breakdowns," he said. "If you don't get us out soon, then there may not be anyone left to save."
MIGRANT ABOARD FOURTH BUS TO DC SAYS POVERTY IN VENEZUELA DROVE HIM TO CROSS SOUTHERN BORDER
Ana Sandoval, mother of Eyvin Hernandez, a Los Angeles attorney who has been detained for five months in Venezuela, shows a photo of Hernandez in Compton, Calif., Monday, Aug. 29, 2022. ((AP Photo/Jae C. Hong))
Martinez said on "America’s Newsroom" Friday that there’s a lack of urgency from the Biden administration to help the detainees, but he’s working with the Bring Our Families Home campaign to stress the importance of his brother’s situation and push the administration to work more quickly.
Los Angeles deputy public defender Drew Havens is a colleague of Hernandez. He told host Sandra Smith that he has also reached out to schedule a meeting with President Biden, but he’s received little communication.
"We’re working with a team of his friends and family to bring as much awareness about the incredible injustice of his detainment," he said.
"We very much need to bring him home."
Ana Sandoval, mother of Eyvin Hernandez, a Los Angeles attorney who has been detained for five months in Venezuela, hugs her son Henry Martinez, Hernandez's half-brother, while posing for photos in Compton, Calif., Monday, Aug. 29, 2022. ( (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong))
President Biden is set to meet with the families of Brittany Griner and Paul Whelan, two Americans serving extended sentences in Russian jail.
White House press secretary Jean-Pierre said Thursday that the White House team is working every day on the return of Griner and Whelan, but she said the Russians have not yet accepted their offer.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Havens said Hernandez is struggling in the Venezuelan jail, where he's locked in a cell for 23 hours a day and watches other detainees suffer regular mental health breakdowns.
"Time is of the essence," Havens said. "The administration needs to act now to bring Americans around the world home."
Fox News' Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
Fox News First
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.