Three U.S. citizens have been arrested by the Venezuelan government on suspicion of plotting to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro and sabotage the country, as alleged conspiracies continue to unfold in the region.
Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello announced Saturday that three Americans, two Spaniards and a Czech citizen had been arrested for allegedly planning an attack aimed at “destabilize” Maduro and his government through “violent actions,” adding that the government had seized hundreds of weapons, Agence France Presse reported.
Cabello did not specify when the six individuals were arrested, but said that “the CIA is in charge of this operation and the CNI of Spain as well,” Spanish media reported.
He said the two Spaniards had recently been arrested in Puerto Ayacucho, in the southwest of the country, and that those arrested were looking for mercenaries with a “very clear objective” to assassinate Maduro.
“We know that the United States government has ties to this operation,” Cabello said.
“They have contacted French mercenaries, they have contacted Eastern European mercenaries and they are in an operation to try to attack our country,” he continued, adding that “more than 400 rifles have been seized” from the United States.
He also accused the detainees of plotting “terrorist acts.”
Cabello said the three Americans and the Czech national were also arrested and linked to the alleged plot to U.S. and Spanish intelligence agencies as well as Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, the outlet reported.
The United States, Spain and the Czech Republic have not yet responded to the allegations.
The arrests come as tensions escalate between the United States and Spain over Venezuela’s disputed July presidential election, which the country’s opposition accuses Maduro of stealing after failing to release detailed vote tallies to support his claim of victory over Edmundo González.
Washington on Thursday imposed sanctions on 16 Venezuelan allies of Maduro, accusing them of obstructing the vote and preventing “a transparent electoral process” by not publishing accurate results.
The South American country has rejected the measures as a “crime of aggression” and Maduro has honored four military officers among those targeted by the sanction.
Caracas also recalled its ambassador to Madrid this week for consultations and summoned Spain’s ambassador to Venezuela for talks after a Spanish minister accused Maduro of running a “dictatorship,” the outlet reported.
Tensions also arise as Caracas has engaged in a political game with the United States, which recognized Gonzalez as the winner of the election.
Venezuela also expressed outrage at Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s decision to meet with Gonzalez and warned Spain against “interfering” in its affairs.
