An American man jailed in Venezuela for 2 years has finally arrived back in the US

Holt family photo via Associated Press

In this image provided by the Holt family, Joshua Holt, his wife Thamara and her daughter Marian Leal, board a plane at the airport in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, May 26, 2018.

• An American who was jailed in Venezuela for two years arrived back in the United States on Saturday.
• Joshua Holt and his wife, Thamara Caleno, were jailed on weapons charges that US officials considered bogus.

A Utah man who had been jailed in Venezuela for nearly two years has returned to the United States.

Joshua Holt arrived Saturday evening at Washington Dulles International Airport.

Venezuelan officials released Holt after high-level talks between President Nicolas Maduro and US lawmakers. Holt and his wife were jailed for nearly two years on accusations of stockpiling weapons and grenades that US officials consider bogus.

The release of Holt and his wife, Thamara Caleno, and their departure for Washington came one day after Republican Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee held a surprise meeting in Caracas with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

An emotional video posted on Twitter by Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah showed Holt reuniting with his family.

"Over the last two years I've worked with two presidential administrations, countless diplomatic contacts, ambassadors from all over the world, a network of contacts in Venezuela, and President [Nicoás] Maduro himself," Hatch said in a statement. "I could not be more honored to be able to reunite Josh with his sweet, long-suffering family in Riverton."

President Donald Trump tweeted Saturday morning about Holt's return, saying he was looking forward to greeting him at the White House later that day.

"The great people of Utah are celebrating!" Trump said.