Venezuelan authorities have arrested three US citizens, two Spaniards, and one Czech citizen on suspicion of plotting to destabilize the country and assassinate top officials, including President Nicolás Maduro.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello announced the arrests, alleging that the detainees were part of a CIA-led operation.
“The CIA is leading this operation, and that does not surprise us, but they, the National Intelligence Centre of Spain, have always maintained a low profile knowing that the CIA operates in this area,” Cabello said.
Cabello claimed the detainees confessed to planning to bring mercenaries to Venezuela to carry out the assassinations.
“These two detainees even tell us about a group of mercenaries they are looking to bring to Venezuela with obvious objectives to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, myself, and another group of comrades who are leading our party and our revolution.”
The US has denied involvement, stating, “Any claims of US involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false.”
The arrests come amid heightened tensions between Venezuela and the US and Spain, following Washington’s sanctions on 16 Venezuelan officials aligned with Maduro.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil summoned Spain’s ambassador to protest a Spanish minister’s description of the Venezuelan government as a “dictatorship.”
Cabello also alleged that the detainees had contacts with French and Eastern European mercenaries and that 400 firearms were confiscated.
The arrests occur amidst disputed election results, with Maduro declared the winner by the National Electoral Council, but opposition data suggesting their candidate, Edmundo González, won instead.
The Spanish government has denied the detainees’ connection to Madrid’s National Intelligence Centre, and Spanish authorities have requested more information and access to those detained.