The United States has rejected claims by Venezuela that the CIA plotted to assassinate embattled President Nicolás Maduro and other top officials, the BBC reports.
This follows Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello’s announcing that three US citizens, two Spaniards and one Czech national had been arrested on suspicion of plotting to destabilise the country. Cabello claimed the detainees were “mercenaries” and that the CIA “is leading the operation”. Cabello also claimed hundreds of weapons had been seized.
The claims, which come after Washington placed 16 senior Venezuelan government officials under sanctions, were rejected in the US as “categorically false”.
A spokesperson for the State Department said a US military member was being held and noted “unconfirmed reports of two additional US citizens detained in Venezuela”.
The Venezuelan government said the Spaniards detained were linked to Madrid’s National Intelligence Centre (CNI).
According to the BBC, Spanish government sources have told local media the pair do not belong to the intelligence organisation.