US confirms arrest of Americans and denies plot

The US State Department confirmed this Saturday that EFE the detention of Americans accused of terrorism in Venezuela and denied that there was a plot against the president of the South American country, Nicolás Maduro.

“We can confirm the arrest of a member of the US Army and We are aware of unconfirmed reports of two other US citizens detained in Venezuela,” he told EFE a State Department spokesman.

The United States also said that any claim of U.S. involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro is “categorically false.”

«The United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela»the spokesman concluded.

Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello announced today the arrest of two Spanish citizens, three Americans and a Czech citizen involved in an alleged operation aimed at carrying out “terrorist” acts, including assassinating President Maduro.

Accusations against the US

According to the minister, more than 400 weapons were seized in the operation. “transported from the United States”and some of those captured were seeking to bring “a group of mercenaries” to Venezuela with the purpose of assassinating Maduro, as well as the Executive Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez, and other Chavista leaders.

The minister said that the two Spanish citizens “have links” with the Spanish National Intelligence Centre (CNI).

In an appearance exclusively for Venezuelan public media, Cabello explained that the Spaniards were captured in Puerto Ayacucho, capital of the state of Amazonas (south, bordering Colombia and Brazil).

According to the minister, on the detainees’ phones the authorities found information about their contacts with a regional “leader” of the Vente Venezuela (VV) party, who they asked “How do they buy explosives” and to “contact groups that would like to do some special work.”

Behind the “trafficking” of weapons, Cabello indicated, is the former commissioner of the Caracas Police Iván Simonovis, who -he assured- has “direct” links in Venezuela with leaders of the majority opposition, among whom he mentioned María Corina Machado, the main supporter of the former presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, exiled in Spain since September 8.

The minister demanded that the US government, which – he reiterated – is “behind this operation”, clarify “the use of its territory to traffic arms” in order to “overthrow a democratic government, elected by its people” in the presidential elections of last July 28.

Following those elections, Maduro was declared the winner by the National Electoral Council (CNE), a result rejected by the opposition and the majority of the international community.