U.S. condemns 'cruel' detention of Citgo executives in Venezuela

The United States on Thursday condemned the "cruel and indefensible" detention of executives from U.S. refiner Citgo in Caracas who were under house arrest, top U.S. envoy for Venezuela Elliott Abrams said. Citgo is owned by Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA.

Washington has made efforts to help get the executives released, Abrams told reporters, without providing specifics. He also warned Moscow about its support for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, hinting at potential sanctions against Russia.