A U.S. service member has been detained in Venezuela as the government alleges the unidentified American attempted to carry out a plan to destabilize the Latin American country, the U.S. State Department said Saturday.
In a statement obtained by Fox News Digital, the State Department said it is aware of unconfirmed reports that Venezuelan authorities have detained two additional Americans.
The statement comes hours after Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said three Americans, two Spaniards and a Czech have been charged with trying to assassinate Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and overthrow the Venezuelan government, Reuters reported.
The United States denied the allegations, with State Department spokesman Matt Miller saying that “any claim of U.S. involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro is categorically false.”
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Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello has claimed that the CIA led a plot to overthrow the Venezuelan government and kill several members of its leadership. (Getty Images)
The arrests come amid an international row over Venezuela's recent presidential election, which was marred by allegations of fraud.
Although Maduro was declared the winner in July by Venezuelan officials, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last month there was “overwhelming evidence” that Maduro's opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, won the most votes.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro addresses government supporters gathered at the presidential palace in support of his re-election one month after the presidential vote, in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
During a press conference on Saturday, Cabello said those detained were linked to plans to assassinate Maduro and other officials.
“These groups are seeking to seize the country's wealth and we as a government will respond firmly to any attempt at destabilization,” Cabello said, adding that officials seized around 400 rifles originating in the United States.
The Venezuelan national flag is waved by protesters in Caracas, Venezuela, May 3, 2017. (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)
The US State Department denied the allegations.
The United States “continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela,” Miller said.
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Cabello said the Spanish citizens were detained while taking photographs in the town of Puerto Ayacucho.
“These citizens have links, we know they will say no, that it is a lie, they have links with the center,” Cabello said, referring to Spain's intelligence agency.
The State Department said a U.S. service member has been detained in Venezuela in what the Latin American country calls a plot to destabilize the government. (REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/Pool/File photo)
The Spanish government also denied any involvement, Spanish media reported.
A Spanish foreign ministry source told Reuters it had requested additional information from Venezuelan officials.
“The Spanish embassy has sent a verbal note to the Venezuelan government requesting access to the detained citizens to verify their identity and nationality and to know exactly what they are accused of,” the source said.
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Diplomatic tensions between Venezuela and Spain remain high following the controversial Venezuelan presidential election on July 28.
A Spanish minister has accused Maduro of running a “dictatorship.”
Venezuela was also upset by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's decision to meet Gonzalez, who went into exile in Spain last week after being threatened with arrest by the Maduro regime following the election.
Nick Kalman of Fox News and Reuters contributed to this report.
