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(CNN) --
The US delegation that traveled to Venezuela this week was unable to secure the release of Matthew Heath, a detained US veteran who attempted suicide earlier this month, his family said in a statement Thursday.
"Despite the best efforts of Roger Carstens, the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, the US delegation visiting Caracas this week was unable to secure an emergency medical evacuation for Matthew," said his aunt, Trudy Rutherford.
Matthew Heath, detained in Venezuela, receives a visit from the United States presidential envoy for hostages
Heath has been jailed in Venezuela for nearly two years on what the State Department calls "spoofed" charges, and his aunt said they "believe Matthew's physical and mental health remain at risk and fear he may attempt suicide again."
"While we are incredibly grateful to Ambassador Carstens and his team for making this trip, it is important that there is continued high-level engagement between the US government focused on bringing Matthew and the other American detainees home. ", said.
“President Biden and President Maduro stand to benefit from ending the ordeal for all these Americans and their families and none of them stand to benefit from their prolonged detention,” Rutherford said.
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Heath's attorney told CNNE that Carstens, the top official for hostage and detainee affairs, was able to visit Heath at the military hospital in Caracas where he is being held.
Heath is one of at least eight Americans currently known to be wrongfully detained in Venezuela.
In addition to Heath, five of the six US oil executives known collectively as the "CITGO 6" (Tomeu Vadell, Jorge Toledo, Alirio José Zambrano, José Luis Zambrano and José Ángel Pereira) who were arrested in Venezuela more than four years ago remain in detention. as well as the Americans Luke Denman and Airan Berry.
Two Americans who had been detained, including one of the CITGO 6, were released in March following a visit by two high-ranking US government officials to Caracas.
