Venezuela live updates: Multiple detained Americans released, State Department says

Multiple Americans who were detained in Venezuela have been released, the State Department announced Tuesday.

"We welcome the release of detained Americans in Venezuela. This is an important step in the right direction by the interim authorities," a State Department spokesman said Tuesday.

ABC News has reached out to the State Department to confirm the number of Americans released.

A State Department team traveled to Venezuela to help with the release, according to a senior State Department official.

This marks the first release of detained Americans since the ouster of former President Nicolas Maduro.

The news was first reported by Bloomberg.

President Donald Trump had said on Sunday that Venezuela had "started the process, in a BIG WAY, of releasing their political prisoners."

-ABC News' Mariam Khan

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said it's "too soon to say" when elections could be held in Venezuela when pressed during a briefing on Monday.

President Donald Trump has not provided a timeline on elections in the wake of Nicolas Maduro's ouster.

Asked if Trump has confidence in interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez, Leavitt said Trump made the "right, realistic assessment" of what actions needed to be taken regarding Venezuela’s leadership. She also said Rodriguez and her team "have been very cooperative with the United States," citing last week's energy deal.

"So we've seen a great level of cooperation, and the president expects that to continue," Leavitt added.

-ABC News' Lalee Ibssa and Hannah Demissie

In an apparent response to an earlier social media post from President Donald Trump, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez posted on social media Sunday, saying in part "they have no moral authority to point fingers at Cuba on anything, absolutely anything, those who turn everything into a business, even human lives."

He concluded the post, "Cuba is a free, independent, and sovereign nation. No one dictates what we do. Cuba does not aggress; it is aggressed upon by the United States for 66 years, and it does not threaten; it prepares, ready to defend the Homeland to the last drop of blood."

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez also posted a statement, saying in part, "Like any country, Cuba has the absolute right to import fuel from those markets willing to export it and that exercise their own right to develop their trade relations without interference or subordination to the unilateral coercive measures" of the United States.

President Trump on Sunday posted on his social media platform that Cuba should make a deal with the U.S. “before it is too late," as he attempts to maintain leverage in the region following the raid on Venezuela about a week ago.

-ABC News' Mara Valdes

President Donald Trump is calling for the country of Cuba to make a deal with the U.S. “before it is too late," as he attempts to maintain leverage in the region following the raid on Venezuela about a week ago.

“THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA - ZERO! I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE,” Trump posted to his social media platform.

The call comes after Trump has continued to threaten that the U.S. could take action against Cuba similar to that it took against Venezuela.

Trump had also levied threats against Colombia, but those have been toned down after the country’s president, Gustavo Petro, had a productive phone call with Trump and is set to visit the White House this week.

Trump also claimed on Sunday that most of the Cubans who provide security and intelligence services to Venezuela are “dead” from the United States’ attack to capture Nicolas Maduro on Jan. 3.

“Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of OIL and MONEY from Venezuela. In return, Cuba provided “Security Services” for the last two Venezuelan dictators, BUT NOT ANYMORE! Most of those Cubans are DEAD from last weeks U.S.A. attack,” Trump wrote.

-ABC News' Isabella Murray