Navy sailor appeared on stage at partisan GOP convention

Washington — An active-duty Navy sailor who spent nearly a year imprisoned in Venezuela before being freed in a prisoner exchange negotiated by the Trump administration appeared on stage at the Republican National Committee's midterm convention on Thursday.

His appearance at the event, holding a sign before the partisan crowd, raises questions about the military's consistency in enforcing restrictions intended to keep active-duty troops out of politics.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Wilbert Joseph Castañeda, who remained on active duty as of Friday, did not deliver remarks and did not wear his military uniform, instead opting for a black suit and a red tie as he walked on stage with several other individuals. Castañeda held a sign showing how many days he was held in Venezuela.

"Please welcome brave Americans who were taken hostage during the Biden administration and freed last year by President Trump," the announcer said.

Defense Department rules prohibit active-duty service members from participating in partisan political rallies and conventions, regardless of whether or not they are in uniform, but they may attend as spectators, if they are not in uniform. Service members who violate the policy can be charged under military articles for failing to obey an order or regulation.

The circumstances surrounding Castañeda's appearance, and whether Navy officials knew about it beforehand or approved his participation, were not immediately clear. Contacted for comment by CBS News on Thursday evening, neither Castañeda nor the Pentagon responded prior to publication.

A U.S. Navy special warfare official confirmed to CBS News on Friday that Castañeda is "an active-duty Sailor but is no longer a Navy SEAL."

CBS News first reported two years ago that Castañeda was no longer authorized to wear the Trident, the symbolic warfare device of a qualified SEAL. A U.S. official said his trident was pulled due to poor performance.

The military's statement from Wednesday appears to indicate Castañeda at some point received a reduction in rank from petty officer first class to petty officer second class.

The Republican National Committee's gathering left little ambiguity about its partisan character. The party organized the two-day convention in Dallas to rally voters and candidates ahead of the November midterm elections, with President Trump and other GOP leaders promoting the party's record and electoral message.

Defense Department Directive 1344.10, which governs political activities by members of the Armed Forces, states that active-duty troops may hold political opinions, vote and participate in certain other forms of political activity. They may attend partisan political rallies, meetings and conventions as spectators if they're not in uniform and when their presence cannot reasonably be interpreted as an official military endorsement.

"When it comes to partisan political conventions, the Defense Department draws a line in the sand between 'spectator' and 'participant,'" Cody Harnish, a former Army Judge Advocate General officer and now a private defense attorney for U.S.