Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello has claimed that the country’s security forces have uncovered a major plot, reportedly backed by the CIA, to kill President Nicolás Maduro. According to Cabello, the plan involved various foreign nationals, including an active U.S. military member, and aimed to carry out terrorist acts across the country.
The plot was supposedly orchestrated by a group consisting of two Spanish citizens, a Czech national, and three Americans. Among the Americans was Wilbert Castaneda, identified as a Navy SEAL with commendations for his service in Afghanistan and Iraq. He was arrested on September 1. Venezuelan authorities also confiscated hundreds of military-grade firearms from the suspects.
In July, Maduro was re-elected for a third term with 52% of the vote in a contested election, with accusations of ballot rigging from the opposition. The U.S., the EU, and other international groups have refused to recognize his victory. In response, Venezuela has accused Washington of attempting a coup.
Cabello stated that the plan not only targeted Maduro but also aimed to attack Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez and himself. The conspirators allegedly intended to create chaos through prison riots and sabotage public utilities and transport infrastructure. They even planned a fake attack on the Argentinian embassy in Caracas, which they hoped to blame on the Venezuelan government.
The suspects were reportedly trying to bring in around 400 firearms and were looking to acquire C4 plastic explosives. Cabello accused the U.S. and Spain of being involved in the operation, a claim that Madrid has denied.
The situation escalated when more suspects were apprehended. By Sunday, additional arrests included two more Americans and a Czech citizen, who were allegedly plotting to bring mercenaries from Europe to Venezuela to overthrow the country’s leaders.
Venezuelan authorities are now highlighting these arrests to draw attention to what they describe as an imperialist conspiracy against their government.
But this wasn’t the only shocking news. Edmundo González Urrutia, a former Venezuelan presidential candidate, has fled the country under mysterious circumstances. According to Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, González sought refuge in the Spanish embassy in Caracas, hiding there for days before officially fleeing to Spain, seeking asylum. This development adds to the growing tension between Venezuela and Western nations.
Meanwhile, the United States made a bold move by seizing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s personal jet, accusing him of violating sanctions. This comes on the heels of an earlier, foiled attempt to overthrow Maduro, led by a former U.S. Green Beret named Jordan Goudreau. Goudreau, who once worked as security chief for British billionaire Richard Branson, was secretly hired by wealthy U.S. backers to lead the coup through his private security company, Silvercorp USA, based in Florida.
Although the plot was shut down by Venezuelan intelligence before it could unfold, new evidence has emerged. Investigators have found Goudreau’s DNA on assault rifles smuggled from the U.S. into South America, linking him directly to the attempted coup. This plot followed Venezuela’s announcement that it would sue the U.S. in the International Criminal Court over economic sanctions that have crippled the country.
In a twist, Venezuela has managed to bypass some of these sanctions by forming strategic alliances with India and Russia. As tensions continue to rise, the international community watches closely, wondering what comes next in this high-stakes battle between Venezuela and foreign powers.
