SAN ANTONIO: The United States released an ally of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in exchange for 10 American detainees and a fugitive dubbed “Fat Leonard” in a sweeping prisoner swap deal Wednesday between the rival governments.

US President Joe Biden made the “extremely difficult decision” to free Alex Saab, the onetime confidant of socialist leader Maduro, who is accused by the United States of money laundering for Caracas, US officials said.

Venezuela in return handed over a fugitive named Leonard Francis, who was at the center of the US Navy’s worst-ever corruption scandal, freed 20 Venezuelan political prisoners and released the 10 US citizens.

The Americans deplaned at a US military base in San Antonio, Texas late Wednesday, with White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan tweeting a photograph of the returnees and saying: “Welcome home.”

Washington has been easing the pressure on the leftist Caracas government while it pushes for progress on democracy, agreeing in October to scale back oil and gas sanctions.