US and EU Citizens Arrested in Venezuela for Alleged Maduro Assassination Conspiracy

Venezuela detained three Americans and three EU citizens on September 14, accusing them of being involved in a plot to assassinate President Nicolás Maduro.

The arrests come amid ongoing disputes in Venezuela and globally regarding the result of the recent presidential election. Western officials, including those from the US, claim that Maduro lost by a significant margin, but Maduro insists he won and forced opposition leader Edmundo González to flee the country.

Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabella announced the arrests, including a US Navy member, two Spaniards, and a Czech, alleging that they came to Venezuela as part of a CIA-led plan to kill Maduro. The announcement was made on Venezuelan state TV, showing photos of rifles supposedly seized as part of the scheme.

The US denied any involvement in the alleged plot.

Cabella identified one of the Americans as Wilbert Joseph Castañeda Gomez, described as a Navy SEAL with service in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Colombia.

Following the arrests, the US State Department acknowledged the detention of a military member and “unconfirmed reports of two more US citizens held in Venezuela.”

However, the State Department refuted Cabella’s claims of a US-led assassination attempt on Maduro.

“Any allegations of US involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are entirely false. The US remains committed to supporting a democratic resolution to the political crisis in Venezuela,” stated the State Department.

Just two days before the arrests, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on more than a dozen individuals close to Maduro, each accused of disrupting the voting process during the still-contested presidential election in July.

Both the US and Spain have recognized Gonzalez as the election winner. Spain’s parliament did so recently, while the US State Department confirmed Gonzalez’s victory shortly after the election.

Spain’s parliament’s decision sparked anger among Maduro’s allies, who called for trade and diplomatic relations with Spain to be suspended.

The election outcome has heightened tensions between Venezuela and the West, already strained due to alleged human rights violations by Maduro’s government.

The Venezuelan Electoral Council, closely aligned with Maduro, asserted that Maduro secured 52% of the vote, but has not disclosed a detailed breakdown of the results. However, an opposition inquiry into the election, based on around 80% of the voting machines’ tally sheets, indicated that Gonzalez won with double the votes of Maduro.

Meanwhile, Venezuelans supporting Gonzalez have taken to the streets in mass protests.

Despite international criticism over the election’s lack of transparency, Venezuela’s Supreme Court, a long-time Maduro supporter, confirmed his victory in August. Subsequently, Venezuela’s attorney general brought conspiracy charges against Gonzalez, who fled to Spain last week to avoid arrest.

Maduro has disregarded requests from various countries, including Colombia and Brazil, to provide tally sheets proving his election victory. Since assuming power in 2013, Maduro has maintained that the US is trying to oust him through sanctions and covert operations.

The Maduro government has previously used Americans detained in Venezuela to leverage concessions from US authorities.

Last year, in a deal with the Biden administration, Maduro released 10 Americans and a fugitive wanted by the US in exchange for a presidential pardon for Alex Saab, a close associate of Maduro facing money laundering charges in Florida. US prosecutors alleged that Saab also aided Maduro in evading US Treasury sanctions through a network of shell companies.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.