Venezuela has accused an alleged U.S. Navy SEAL and five other foreign nationals of participating in a CIA-led plot to assassinate President Nicolás Maduro. Venezuelan authorities announced the arrests of three Americans, two Spaniards, and one Czech citizen on Saturday, alleging they were part of a plan to destabilize the country and kill key government officials, including Maduro.
Diosdado Cabello, Venezuela’s Interior Minister, made the accusations during a state television broadcast, identifying U.S. citizen Joseph Castañeda Gomez as a U.S. Navy SEAL who had served in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Colombia, claiming he was the leader of the operation. Castañeda was arrested alongside Americans David Estrella and Aaron Barrett Logan.
Cabello also presented images of rifles that he said were confiscated from the alleged plotters. According to the statement, 400 U.S.-made rifles were seized.
Estas son las armas que según Diosdado Cabello incautaron a supuestos células que buscaban atacar a Maduro. Según él, las armas eran de EEUU; imaginen ser tan idiota para creer que EEUU va a organizar una operación con estas armas anticuadas: pic.twitter.com/ngobQ71wWk
— Emmanuel Rincón (@EmmaRincon) September 15, 2024
The U.S. State Department has rejected Venezuela’s claims, calling them “categorically false.” In a statement, the department said the United States “continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela” and denied any involvement in an assassination plot. The State Department confirmed the detention of a U.S. military member, identified as Castañeda, and noted that it was aware of unconfirmed reports about the detention of two additional U.S. citizens in Venezuela.
Wilbert Joseph Castañeda Gómez, es el miembro en servicio activo de la marina estadounidense que fue arrestado en Caracas el mes pasado es reportado como un miembro en servicio activo de los Navy Seal de Estados Unidos según Diosdado Cabello.
El chavismo secuestra americanos. pic.twitter.com/JIiBdFio1J
— Raymond K. Azar الله (@AzarMaidana) September 15, 2024
The Venezuelan government also arrested two Spanish citizens—José María Basoa Valdovinos and Andrés Martínez Adasme—and Czech national Jan Darmovzal. While Spain’s embassy has yet to comment on the situation, the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the detention of one of its citizens and stated that they are in contact with his family.
The arrests occurred shortly after the U.S. imposed sanctions on 16 Venezuelan officials accused of obstructing voting during the disputed July 2023 presidential election. These sanctions further strained relations between the two countries.
Interior Minister Cabello asserted that the plot was orchestrated by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in collaboration with Spain’s National Intelligence Center. He accused the U.S. of being at the forefront of the plan to assassinate Maduro, who has long claimed that the U.S. is working to overthrow his government through sanctions and covert operations.
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