Venezuela arrests 3 Americans, 2 Spaniards over CIA operation to assassinate Maduro
Three American citizens and two Spaniards have been detained pending court trial in Venezuela on suspicion of plotting to “destabilize” the country through “violent actions.”
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said in a news conference on Saturday that the five were detained on suspicion of planning an attack on President Nicolas Maduro and his government.
Cabello said the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was leading the operation aimed at assassinating Maduro, adding that hundreds of rifles had been found.
The minister told reporters that one of the detained Americans had been identified as US Navy SEAL William Joseph Castaneda Gomez.
Cabello said Gomez was in charge of the outfit for the CIA plot. Cabello also identified the two other detained Americans as David Estrella and Aaron Barrett Logan.
The minister said that in addition to 3 Americans, two Spaniards named Jose Maria Basoa Valdovinos and Andres Martinez Adasme, in addition to one Czech national, Jan Darmovzal, had been arrested over the plot.
He said authorities had seized 400 American-made rifles from the squad.
The US and its present ally and former colonial power Spain, are currently at loggerheads with Venezuela’s government over the re-election of the leftist leader in the July 28 presidential race.
After losing in the presidential race, the opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, fled the country last week.
Gonzalez was flown to Madrid in a Spanish Air Force plane after days of hiding in Spain’s embassy in Caracas.
Venezuela’s Attorney General, Tarek Saab, said the Venezuelan government had agreed with Madrid to give Gonzalez safe passage.
Maduro’s deputy had earlier said Caracas agreed to his exit to restore “political peace” to the country.
However, Spain’s foreign ministry claimed there had been no official talks between the two governments on Gonzalez Urrutia’s exit.
Caracas summoned Spain’s envoy to Venezuela last week for talks while recalling its envoy to Spain for consultations.
Venezuela also warned Spain against any “interference” in its affairs.
Washington and its allies recognize Gonzalez Urrutia as the winner of the election.
On Thursday, Washington slapped sanctions on 16 Venezuelan officials, including some from the electoral authority, for impeding “a transparent electoral process” claiming violations in the election.
Caracas denounced the US measures against Venezuelans as a “crime of aggression.”
Maduro, who has escaped previous US assassination attempts unharmed, says he is up against the “imperialist.”
He says plots by the US-led West were aimed at destroying socialism and taking over Venezuela’s oil.
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