here s gabe gutierrez. reporter: tonight, two americans detained in venezuela are home in the u.s. after a high-stakes meeting in caracas. they ve been wrongfully detained. reporter: among those released, gustavo cardenas, one of the citgo 6, executives from citgo petroleum who were arrested during a business trip to venezuela in november of 2017 and later charged with corruption their families have been pleading for their release for years. this is horrible to us. we spoke to them in 2019. life for us is like a war because every day is a battle to bring them back. reporter: today, maria elena cardenas told nbc news of her husband s homecoming, we are so happy. it doesn t seem real the other man released is jorge alberto fernandez, a cuban american tourist who was arrested last year for bringing a drone into venezuela and accused of terrorism a source within the venezuelan government called the release a good-faith gesture by president nicolas maduro