Caracas: Executives at a Miami TV station say their correspondent based in Venezuela has been freed from custody hours after security forces seized him at his apartment, while the United States said it was set to sanction banks to ramp up pressure on President Nicolas Maduro to leave office.

Venezuela's government arrested American journalist Cody Weddle on Wednesday, local time, along with a local colleague who was later released. ABC affiliate Local 10 News has since reported that the freelance journalist was at the airport outside Caracas waiting for a flight to the United States.

In the latest crackdown on a challenge to his rule by opposition leader Juan Guaido, Maduro also expelled the German ambassador, accusing him of repeated meddling in the country's affairs. On Monday, ambassador Daniel Kriener and diplomats from other embassies had welcomed Guaido home at the Caracas airport.

Guaido had flouted a court-imposed travel ban to visit other Latin American countries to drum up support.