- US denies Venezuela’s claim of CIA plot to assassinate President Maduro
- Three US citizens, two Spaniards and one Czech arrested
- Venezuela claims CIA is “leading the operation” and that hundreds of weapons were seized
US Denies Venezuela Claim of CIA Plot to Assassinate President Maduro
The United States has denied Venezuela’s accusations that the CIA was involved in a plot to assassinate President Nicolás Maduro and other top officials.
Venezuela’s Interior Minister, Diosdado Cabello, announced the arrest of three US citizens, two Spaniards, and one Czech national, accusing them of plotting to destabilise the country. Cabello referred to the detainees as “mercenaries” and claimed the CIA was “leading the operation,” stating that hundreds of weapons had been seized.
The US dismissed the allegations as “categorically false.” The accusations follow Washington’s recent sanctions on 16 senior Venezuelan government officials. A State Department spokesperson confirmed that a US military member was among those detained, with “unconfirmed reports” of two additional US citizens also being held in Venezuela.
Cabello further alleged that the detainees had contacted “French mercenaries” from Eastern Europe and were planning an attack on Venezuela. He claimed that “more than 400 rifles were seized” and accused the group of planning “terrorist acts.”
Venezuelan authorities also linked the detained Spaniards to Madrid’s National Intelligence Centre (CNI), but Spanish government sources denied any involvement, stating that the pair were not connected to their intelligence services. A source told AFP, “Spain denies and categorically rejects any insinuation of involvement in a political destabilisation operation in Venezuela.”
The Czech Republic has not yet responded to the claims.