Venezuela has arrested three Americans on accusations of plotting to “destabilize” the nation through “violent actions.” Venezuelan officials allege that these individuals were planning an attack against President Nicolas Maduro and his government.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello revealed that the Americans, along with two Spaniards and a Czech national, were taken into custody. Authorities seized 400 rifles linked to the alleged plot. One of the Americans, a Navy sailor, was reportedly in Venezuela for personal reasons when he was detained earlier this month.
Cabello claimed that the detained individuals were connected to intelligence agencies in their home countries and linked the alleged plot to opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. Machado is said to have provided evidence showing Maduro lost the controversial July 28 election to Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia.
This arrest follows recent U.S. sanctions targeting Venezuelan election officials accused of aiding Maduro’s fraudulent election practices. The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 16 officials from Venezuela’s National Electoral Council and Supreme Tribunal of Justice, accusing them of human rights violations and censorship.
Furthermore, the U.S. State Department has introduced visa restrictions on 2,000 individuals suspected of being involved in the election fraud, marking a significant escalation in U.S.-Venezuela tensions.
