The family of an American man, the son of a cult film musician, are clinging to hope for his safe return after he vanished in Venezuela, a situation thrust into the spotlight following the dramatic military capture of the country's president, Nicolás Maduro.
A Family's Anxious Wait for News
James Luckey-Lange, a 28-year-old from Staten Island, was last in contact with his relatives in early December. His aunt, Abbie Luckey, revealed he had planned a trip to Caracas ahead of a scheduled flight back to New York on December 12, intending to join the family's annual Christmas cruise tradition.
"I remember he asked if, when he landed, we could make time to shop for Christmas because he didn't want to get caught up in the last-minute holiday shopping chaos," Abbie Luckey recalled to the Daily Mail. However, the date passed without any word from him. "When we didn't hear from him that day, we knew something was seriously wrong," she said.
Describing her nephew as an "adventurous free spirit," she emphasised he had "no ties to the government." The family has been left in agonising uncertainty, with Abbie stating they have "just been sitting in the dark praying, hoping for the best."
Connection to a Cult Musical Legacy
Luckey-Lange is the son of the late musician Q Lazzarus, born Diane Luckey. Her 1988 song Goodbye Horses achieved cult status after featuring prominently in the Oscar-winning film The Silence of the Lambs. His mother died from sepsis in 2022, after which relatives say he embarked on a years-long journey through Latin America to process his grief. His father died in 2025.
Before travelling, Luckey-Lange worked in commercial fishing in Alaska after university. At the time of his disappearance, he was preparing to settle in New Jersey to manage his mother's music collection and rights.
Geopolitical Upheaval and a Glimmer of Hope
The case is among several involving Americans recently detained by Venezuelan security forces, according to a US official cited by The New York Times. The situation escalated dramatically over the weekend when former US President Donald Trump announced that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured in a pre-dawn raid by the US Army's elite Delta Force at a military base in Caracas.
Trump stated both would be taken to New York City to face narco-terrorism charges, and that the US would temporarily govern Venezuela. In a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, Trump warned Venezuelan authorities, "We've let them know they better not touch any of them," in reference to detained Americans.
This seismic shift has given Luckey-Lange's family a renewed sense of hope. "After Maduro's capture, I remain hopeful and confident that the citizens being held will return safe and unharmed," Abbie Luckey said. A friend of Luckey-Lange, director Eva Aridjis Fuentes, posted on social media that while there are no concrete updates, "we are cautiously hopeful that today's dramatic developments will bring him home sooner."
The family's direct message to James remains one of steadfast support: "We're all concerned, and we're doing everything we can to get your release as early as possible. We have never stopped trying to find you."
