Four missionaries held for questioning, released in Venezuela

Four North Dakota missionaries were released by Venezuelan authorities Saturday after being detained and questioned for several days, a pastor at their church said.

Bruce Dick, lead pastor at Bethel Evangelical Free Church in Devils Lake, said the three men and one woman were released Saturday after being in custody since Wednesday.

U.S. Embassy Press Director Glenn Guimond said the missionaries boarded a plane out of the country and would not be allowed back for two years.

It was unclear Saturday why the missionaries were detained by Venezuelan authorities, and Dick said he couldn’t comment until he spoke with them. He said they flew to Aruba, where they planned to rest for at least a day.