() – Venezuela said it has detained six foreigners, including a U.S. Marine, over an alleged plot to “destabilize” the country that has been in crisis since disputed elections earlier this year.
Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said the alleged plot was directed by the CIA and aimed to kill the country’s leader, Nicolas Maduro. The US State Department rejected the claim as “categorically false.”
The accusation comes as Venezuela’s opposition, multiple Latin American leaders and the United States refuse to recognize Maduro’s disputed election victory, which has been followed by deadly protests during which thousands were arrested.
At a press conference on Saturday, Cabello identified the alleged Marine as Wilbert Castaneda who he claimed was the leader of the operation. The minister also named two other detained Americans: David Estrella and Aaron Barrett Logan.
reported earlier this month Castaneda had been arrested in Caracas in August. At the time, U.S. authorities said he was a sailor who had traveled to Venezuela.
Last week, Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab told that the sailor was a Mexican-American citizen who was being investigated for entering the country without proper documentation.
Cabello said that in addition to the Americans, two Spanish citizens — José María Basoa Valdovinos and Andrés Martínez Adasme — and a Czech citizen, Jan Darmovzal, were arrested. Venezuelan authorities also seized 400 American rifles linked to the alleged plot, he said.
“The CIA is at the forefront of this operation,” Cabello said at the press conference, claiming that Spain’s National Intelligence Centre was also involved. “That doesn’t surprise us at all,” he said.
He said the operation had “very clear objectives of assassinating President Nicolás Maduro” and other high-ranking Venezuelan politicians, including himself and the vice president.
The U.S. State Department denied the claims. A spokesman confirmed Saturday that a member of the U.S. military was arrested in Venezuela and that the department was “aware of unconfirmed reports of two additional U.S. citizens detained” in the country.
“Any claim of U.S. involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro is categorically false,” the spokesperson added. “The United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela.”
The State Department is seeking additional information, the spokesman said.
A source at Spain’s foreign ministry told Reuters it was asking Venezuela for more information.
“The Spanish embassy has sent a verbal note to the Venezuelan government asking for access to the detained citizens to verify their identities and nationality and to find out what exactly they are accused of,” the source told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, sources from the Spanish Foreign Ministry told that “Spain denies and rejects any suggestion that it is involved in an operation to destabilize politics in Venezuela. The government has confirmed that those arrested are not part of the CNI or any other state body. Spain defends a democratic and peaceful solution to the situation in Venezuela.”
Venezuela is still grappling with the aftermath of its presidential election in July, in which Maduro claimed a third term despite global skepticism over the outcome and protest from the country’s opposition movement.
The coalition backing opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez insists the vote was stolen, posting tally sheets online that experts say indicate Maduro actually lost the presidency by a significant margin.
The U.S. has recognized Gonzalez as the candidate who received the most votes in that election, but has not formally recognized him as Venezuela’s president-elect.
Last week, Gonzalez flew to Spain, fleeing Venezuela after a statement was issued arrest warrant accusing him of terrorism, conspiracy and other crimes.
On Thursday, the US imposed sanctions on Venezuelan officials aligned with Maduro for allegedly obstructing the election.
The US also announced that a Venezuelan plane used by Maduro for international travel was seized in the Dominican Republic; a second plane linked to Maduro is under 24-hour surveillance by authorities in the Dominican Republic, a source with knowledge of the matter told .
Meanwhile, at home, Maduro’s government has cracked down on dissent, the harshest repression in years, according to Human Rights Watch. Protests have been fiercely repressed, some 2,400 people have been arrested and many others are fleeing the country.
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