Joshua Holt and his Venezuelan wife Thamy arrived in the US accompanied by Senator Bob Corker, who helped negotiate their release.

Mr Holt later met President Donald Trump at the White House.

Mr Holt and his wife had been imprisoned in Venezuela for two years on charges of concealing weapons.

"Very glad that Josh Holt is now back home with his family - where he has always belonged," Mr Pence wrote in a tweet. "Sanctions continue until democracy returns to Venezuela."

The couple were detained in 2016 at her family's house in the capital Caracas while waiting for US visas, and accused of hiding weapons. Both were jailed for two years.

Mr Corker had held talks on Friday with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

The US senator shared a picture of himself with the couple after their release, adding: "We are on our way home."

Sitting alongside Mr Holt in the Oval Office, President Trump told him he had been "incredibly brave."

"It's amazing that you were able to take it... that was a tough situation," he said with Mr Holt's family looking on.

Mr Holt said he was "overwhelmed" to be back home.

"I'm just so grateful for what you guys have done, and for thinking about me, and caring about me, just a normal person," he added. "It really touches me."

A spokesman for Mr Maduro said the couple's release was a "gesture" aimed at improving dialogue between Venezuela and the US.

Mr Maduro was re-elected to a six-year term last week, but Washington has refused to recognise the outcome. The election was marred by an opposition boycott and allegations of vote-rigging.

The US had previously accused Venezuela of using Mr Holt as a bargaining chip towards changing Washington's sanctions policy on the country.

Venezuela has not discussed the nature of the talks with Mr Corker, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but said they were "good news for the Venezuelan people".

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