The sailor is the latest in a series of US military personnel to be held recently in countries with which the United States has strained ties, after others were detained in North Korea and Russia.

"We're tracking a US Navy sailor was detained in Venezuela by law enforcement in that country," the official said on condition of anonymity, without providing further details on the detention.

Another US official said the country's Navy was looking into reports that a sailor was detained around August 30 "while on personal travel to Venezuela."

Tensions between the United States and the South American country are high, centered around disputed July 28 elections that saw incumbent President Nicolas Maduro declared the winner.

The announced result sparked protests in which more than two dozen people were killed and more than 2,400 arrested, with the opposition saying it won in a landslide.

The United States, the European Union and several Latin American countries have refused to recognize Maduro as having won without seeing detailed voting results.

US President Joe Biden's administration had reached a deal in which it agreed to ease sanctions imposed under his predecessor Donald Trump if Maduro allowed free elections, but reimposed most after becoming convinced that he would not follow through.

Washington on Monday seized a private aircraft used by Maduro in the Dominican Republic and flew it to Florida, a move the Venezuelan leader condemned as "piracy" but which Washington said was justified due to sanctions violations.

- State Department warning -

The following day, the United States denounced an arrest warrant issued in Venezuela for opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia and warned of further action against Maduro.

The US State Department has warned Americans against traveling to Venezuela for reasons that include the dangers of crime, unrest and wrongful detention.

"There is a high risk of wrongful detention of US nationals in Venezuela. Security forces have detained US citizens for up to five years," the department's Venezuela travel advisory says.

"The US government is not generally notified of the detention of US citizens in Venezuela or granted access to US citizen prisoners there," it says.

The unnamed US sailor is one of several US military personnel detained by the country's adversaries in recent years.

US soldier Gordon Black was arrested in May in Vladivostok, where he was visiting a Russian woman he met and dated while serving in South Korea.

The soldier was detained after the woman reported him to the police following an argument, saying he physically attacked her and stole about 10,000 rubles (100 euros) from her.

Another soldier, Travis King, ran across the border from South Korea into the North in July 2023 while on a tour of the Demilitarized Zone that divides the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea subsequently expelled King and the US Army later charged him with desertion and a raft of other crimes.

His lawyer said last month that King has reached a plea deal under which he will plead guilty to five of the 14 offenses, including desertion.