Alirio Zambrano is a 58-year-old father, grandfather, uncle, and friend to many. In November 2017, after being suddenly summoned to a mandatory work meeting in Caracas, Alirio and five other Americans were unjustly detained, with unfounded allegations based on a 24 hour "express" investigation completed by the Venezuelan counterintelligence division. After three years of unjust detainment, human rights abuses, and serious health scares amidst endlessly postponed court dates, the men were sentenced to upwards of eight more years in holding, in a trial that was shut to the media and human rights organizations. The men have repeatedly been referred to as "bargaining chips" for the Maduro regime, being randomly taken in and out of house arrest twice in supposed response to actions by the U.S. Government. Alirio's unjust detainment has been a trauma of unpredictable brutality, fear for the heavy ramifications of a COVID-19 epidemic in the prison, and loss of precious moments with his children and his grandchildren. Alirio is missed dearly, and his family hopes that the United States government may consider all options for his prompt, safe return home.