Update: U.S. Embassy granted permission to speak with Holt in prison

Update 7-8-2016 3:50 pm: Laurie Holt tells us that the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela has been given permission for someone from the embassy to meet with Joshua Holt in prison on July 12th. This will be the first time anyone has spoken to Joshua since his arrest. We will be sure to bring you more updates as we receive them.

Original story: Imagine returning from a honeymoon only to be arrested and thrown into a foreign jail. That’s one Utah man’s reality. Joshua Holt, 24, is now sitting in a jail in Venezuela.

Joshua’s mother, Laurie Holt, is asking for help to bring her son home safely.

“I just want him home, I just want him to come home,” Laurie Holt said. “I just want to know that he’s safe. I’m tired of wondering from minute to minute, ‘Is he okay? Is he alive? Are they feeding him, because we’ve been told he hasn’t been getting much to eat.”

Joshua Holt recently returned in January from serving an LDS mission. Shortly after coming home, he started dating Thamy, a Venezuelan woman he met online. In early May, he flew to the Dominican Republic to propose to her. He came back home to Utah and announced his plan to go to Venezuela to marry Thamy. His mother said she didn’t like the idea of him going from the start.

“I begged him not to go,” Laurie Holt said. “I said “You’re going to go down there and get into some kind of trouble because you’re an American and they don’ t like you and they don’t want you there.'”

But Josh ignored his mother’s warning and flew to Venezuela in early June. He and Thamy were married on June 16.

Just a few days after their honeymoon, the couple returned to Thamy’s apartment in Venezuela. The idea was to stay there until Thamy could get her visa to come to the U.S. But on June 30, about 30 police officers arrested both Josh and Thamy at their apartment. They accused Josh of being a terrorist and an American spy.

According to reports in a Venezuelan newspaper, police claim to have found a hand grenade and assault rifles in Josh’s apartment. Josh’s family said those things weren’t his. His family said he’s being framed, but they really haven’t been able to get a lot of details on what happened. Police took his passport, driver’s license, credit cards and cash. They took pictures of it and included it in the article.

Laurie said no one has had any contact with her son since his arrest. She said all they’ve been able to learn is he’s being held by intelligence in a 6 by 6 cell with fairly poor conditions.

Laurie said the entire family is extremely worried and they’re reaching out to anyone who could possibly help.

Laurie met with representatives from Congressmen Simpson, Crapo and Risch on Thursday afternoon. She said they were very supportive and she hopes they’ll be able to help.

In the meantime, she said she’ll keep fighting for Josh and pray for his safe return.

Laurie also said she’s extremely grateful for all they help and support they’ve received so far. She said a lot of people have been calling and emailing anyone who could possibly help.

A Go Fund Me page at #justiceforjosh has been set up to help the family with expenses, such as lawyer fees. To donate to help the family, go the family’s page.

Josh currently has family in both Utah and Pocatello.