Venezuela has detained a fourth U.S. citizen in connection with what officials claim is a plot to assassinate President Nicolás Maduro. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello made the announcement on Tuesday, without identifying the individual. The arrest is part of a larger series of detentions of foreigners and Venezuelan opposition members that the government alleges were conspiring to destabilize the country following a contested presidential election.
According to Cabello, the fourth American was arrested in Caracas while taking photos of sensitive locations, including military units, oil facilities, and electrical installations. Cabello stated that the individual was part of a broader conspiracy involving both foreign and domestic actors to overthrow Maduro’s government. The U.S. Navy confirmed that one of the detained Americans is Wilbert Joseph Castaneda, a Navy SEAL and petty officer first class who has served since 2007.
The Navy released Castaneda’s service details after Venezuelan authorities accused him of involvement in the plot. He was detained in late August, and his capture was made public shortly after Venezuela’s Interior Minister linked him to the alleged plan to assassinate Maduro.
In addition to the four U.S. citizens, Venezuela has detained two Spaniards and a Czech national in recent weeks. The Venezuelan government claims these individuals were working for foreign intelligence agencies and were collaborating with the Venezuelan opposition. Cabello stated that all detainees had confessed to their involvement in the alleged plot, though the governments of the United States, Spain, and the Czech Republic have all denied the accusations.
On Saturday, Spain requested detailed information about the arrests and expressed concerns over the situation. Madrid, Washington, and Prague have denied involvement in any plot against Maduro and have demanded clarity from the Venezuelan government regarding the charges and status of their citizens. The detentions come at a time of heightened diplomatic tensions, particularly between Venezuela and Spain, after Spain recognized opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia as the rightful winner of the disputed election.
Following the contested election, Venezuela recalled its ambassador to Spain and summoned the Spanish envoy to Venezuela for talks, escalating tensions between the two nations. The election, which opposition figures and foreign governments claim was rigged, has led to increased diplomatic pressure on Maduro. The U.S. recently imposed sanctions on 16 Venezuelan officials, accusing them of obstructing a transparent electoral process and failing to publish accurate results.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson stated that the U.S. government is aware of reports regarding the arrest of a fourth American but denied any involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro. The spokesperson reiterated that the U.S. continues to support a democratic resolution to Venezuela’s political crisis.
Washington’s relationship with Caracas has been fraught with tension for years, particularly after the U.S. backed opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the legitimate president of Venezuela in 2019. The recent arrests and the allegations of assassination plots have further strained ties between the two nations.
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