detained Americans in Venezuela, there are# still at least four Am and approximately seven held in Gaza by# Hamas and potentially other militant groups.

The U.S. government's point person working# to get them all home is Roger Carstens,## the special presidential# envoy for hostage affairs.

Ambassador Carstens, welcome back.

ROGER CARSTENS, U.S. Special Pr AMNA NAWAZ: what is a multiagency effort to brin I understand Qatar was instrumental in# previous successful efforts to release## many of the hostages.

Things have been at a# standstill for a while, though now.

Where is## the holdup?

Obviously, Hamas, right?

But are# the U.S. and Israel on the same page on this?

ROGER CARSTENS: As you might imagine, I can't get# into the details of negotiation.

At times you can,## usually after the fact, but,# right now, it just, in a way,## doesn't benefit the hostages to# get into the What I can say is that Qatar# is playing a very strong and## important role as an intermediary.# There are times when, of course,## the United States does not really have# entree into some of the negotiating and this is a case where Qatar has really been# able to bring its gravitas in th I think where we are, it's a tough# fight.

I think a lot of things you## read in the newspaper are probably accurately# portrayi as the president said and as the secretary said,# we're in this to make sure that everyo back.

And even if we were to get all of our# Americans back, we are going to stay there## and work to get all the hostages back, and# we're done when everyone is accounted for.

AMNA NAWAZ: Have you been able to confirm,## at least among the Americans ROGER CARSTENS: So information# still remains sketchy.

As you well know, the president announced hostages in detention had already passed.# For the other seven remaining, of course,## the information -- I would say we have# more information some, less on others.

But, at the end of the day, to us, we just# have to keep pursuing returning everyone to include those who do pass away.

So the one# gentleman that is assessed as being deceased, we## still have a responsibility to bring his remains# back, so that the families can have closure.

AMNA NAWAZ: The nature of your# work is, to say the least,## high-stakes, but also just things# come together at t I want to ask you about the recent deal.# You were able to bri who were detained in Venezuela in exchange# for an ally of Venezuelan President How fragile -- give us a sense, how fragile# are these deals before they're done?

I mean,## when was this one final before# they came home on Wednesday?

ROGER CARSTENS: To just answer directly,# they're always very fragile.

There come time when -- even though we try to give families a# sense of what's happening during the there comes a time when we tell the families# like, we just can't talk about it anymore, because## it seems to get to that point where everything# hangs on a thread and that, if there's one le if there's one false tweet, the other side may# actually decide to collapse the negotiation.

On this one, we had some details to work out.

A# lot of good work was done by the United States,## particularly by the White House and the people# at the State Department and Western Hemisphere## Affairs.

But I think we got to the point# where we just had to fine-tune An d, as a result, on the 20th, we spent about four# or five hours on a very hot airplane tarmac.

You## can picture six airplanes with their engines# continually running, no one shut down for six## hours, and just going back and forth between# this -- these very loud planes with that heat## coming off the tarmac, trying to ensure that# everything was wrapped up, so that we could## begin the switch between the Americans that they# were holding and the person that we But at the end of the day, we were able# to pull it all off, and I think a lot of## people put the work into it.

And, if I may,# it's not just the people who negotiated at## the White House or the State Department, but# there are congressmen, senators, nonprofits,## individuals like Mickey Bergman of the Richardson# foundation, Jonathan Franks, Eric Lebson,## congressmen, senators, their staffs, allies of the# United States that all put themselves into this.

But, at the end of the day, the people that,# to my mind, bear the most weight on their back,## the families.

They're the ones that push us, hold# us accountable, sometimes come up with a winn strategy, and they're all doing that to keep# their loved ones -- bring their loved ones back.

And I would even say the people that are in these# prisons, they remain strong and they pretty never lose faith in their country.

They know# that we're going to come and get them one day.

AMNA NAWAZ: Speaking of folks in prison,## I want to ask you Tomorrow does mark... ROGER CARSTENS: Yes.

You put out a statement just this evening, saying:## "Not a day goes by without intensive U.S.# government efforts t But he recently did tell reporters he feels# betrayed, that he feels that he's been left behind.

There have been previous# deals that did not include him.

Will he be the priority in any# potential next Russian swap?

ROGER CARSTENS: You know, a# lot depends on the Russians.

I mean, certainly, we want AMNA NAWAZ: Evan Gershkovich is# The Wall Street Journal reporter.

ROGER CARSTENS: Evan But we're working hard.

It's kind of -- it's a# ha rd, because the belief might be that# you're not.

But, at the end of the day,## we probably talk to his family members# daily.

We talked to The Wall Street Journal because they maintain an interest in Evan# Gershkovich.

We talk to them on a weekly b But Paul Whelan is just front and center# at all times.

I probably talk to him once## every two or three weeks.

Fletcher Schoen,# my case officer, talks to Paul pretty much## weekly.

But this is something that we work# on every day.

And that's not just throwing## those words out there.

Every day, we're# working on trying to bring Paul home.

AMNA NAWAZ: We have seen a rise in foreign# governments detaining innocent ab road.

And the criticism you always get is, the# more you negotiate with people, you get them to## see they can have a financial backer or a close# political ally or billions in funds unfrozen by## releasing Americans they're holding, that# it may incentivize more hostage-taking.

How is that not the case?

Doesn't that# seem to be proving true right now?

ROGER CARSTENS: No, if I were to actually# lay all the facts out, I m my case numbers are actually going down# right now.

I think we're in a Pr obably, 10 years from now, when we# have had a chance to run all the numbers,## we can maybe come up with a more# conclusive -- or, I should co nclusion.

But, right now, my numbers are# not necessarily going up.

They're -- they're a steady state or going down,# I would say that would be accurate.

Gaza, of course, with 10 hostages being# -- or 12 hostages down to eight that are## still on accounted for, that kind of# skews the numbers a little bit.

But,## at the end of the day, people don't get back# unless you're willing to make these deals.

And President Biden and Secretary Blinken# have shown great courage in de cisions that bring Americans home,# because unless you make that deal,## that person is going to remain# in a prison.

There's no other way## to bring some of these people back# other than to make a h AMNA NAWAZ: That is Ambassador Roger Carstens,## U.S. special presidential# Am bassador, good to see you.

Thank you.

ROGER CARSTENS: