Six foreign citizens, including three Americans, two Spaniards, and a Czech citizen, were arrested in Venezuela on Saturday on accusations of plotting to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro. Venezuelan officials, led by interior minister Diosdado Cabello, claimed that the individuals were part of a CIA-led conspiracy to overthrow the government and target key leadership figures. Cabello displayed confiscated rifles on state television as evidence of the alleged plan.
Among the arrested Americans was a Navy member identified as Wilbert Joseph Castañeda Gomez, described as a navy seal with experience in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Colombia. The U.S. State Department confirmed the detention of a U.S. military member and noted unconfirmed reports of two additional American citizens being detained in Venezuela. The State Department denied any U.S. involvement in a plot against Maduro, emphasizing support for a democratic resolution to Venezuela’s political crisis.
The arrests came shortly after the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on individuals linked to Maduro for election interference and human rights abuses. Spain’s parliament recognized opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as the winner of the disputed presidential election, leading to tensions between Spain and Venezuela. Maduro’s victory in the election, contested by opposition activists who collected tally sheets indicating a different outcome, was confirmed by Venezuela’s supreme court.
The Maduro administration has accused the U.S. of attempting to overthrow him through sanctions and covert operations. In the past, Americans imprisoned in Venezuela were used to secure concessions from the U.S. government, as seen in a deal involving the release of 10 Americans and a pardon for a close ally of Maduro on money laundering charges.
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