Eric Arthur, a 62-year-old American businessman, set off on the adventure of a lifetime after selling his successful condom and lubricant business. Leaving the U.S. behind, he bought a 48-foot yacht in Greece, named it Tambo (after Terminator and Rambo), and spent years sailing around Europe and North Africa.
In December 2024, Eric crossed the Atlantic and arrived in Barbados to celebrate the new year. Wanting to settle in warm weather, he set his sights on Venezuela, unaware of the dangers under President Nicolás Maduro’s rule.
Captured in Venezuelan Waters
On January 6, 2025, the Venezuelan Coast Guard stopped Eric’s boat and searched it with drug-sniffing dogs. They denied his request to stop for the night and ordered him to leave. However, exhausted from his journey, Eric fell asleep at the wheel, and his boat crashed into rocks and sank.
Stranded, he drifted for three days in a life raft, sending SOS messages. Finally, fishermen rescued him and took him to a Venezuelan military base. Officers filmed him eating breakfast and later asked him to record a statement praising Maduro. When he refused, he was transferred to Margarita Island under house arrest.
Thrown into Prison
At first, Eric was told he would be released, but instead, he was taken to a prison in Caracas, where he was cut off from the outside world. Prison conditions were brutal:
- Forced to sit in a chair for 14 hours daily
- Banned from standing or talking
- Loud music played 24/7
- Guards shoved him around and denied him proper food
- Given intravenous fluids when he fell sick
- Accused of being a U.S. spy
Eric was locked up with other Americans accused of espionage and terrorism, though most had simply traveled to Venezuela to meet women from dating sites.
Unexpected Rescue
At the time, the U.S. and Venezuela were in tense negotiations. As part of a deal to deport Venezuelans from the U.S., former President Donald Trump sent special envoy Richard Grenell to negotiate prisoner releases.
On January 31, 2025, Venezuela agreed to free six Americans. However, when two prisoners refused to leave, Eric and another detainee were chosen instead.
Blindfolded and handcuffed, Eric feared for his life. Instead, he was put on a U.S. Air Force jet and flown home. Now broke and traumatized, he’s unsure about his future but feels lucky to be alive.
