Venezuela says US Navy SEAL among foreigners arrested over alleged CIA ‘operation’ to assassinate Maduro

By Mauricio Torres, CNN

 3 minute read 

Updated 11:19 PM EDT, Sat September 14, 2024

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The Venezuelan flag flies over the National Assembly building in Caracas, Venezuela. Carlos Becerra/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesCNN — 

Venezuela says it has arrested six foreigners, including a US Navy SEAL, for an alleged plot to “destabilize” the country that has been in crisis since disputed elections earlier this year.

Interior minister Diosdado Cabello claimed that the alleged plot was led by the CIA, and aimed at assassinating the country’s leader Nicolás Maduro. The US State Department rejected the claim as “categorically false.”

The accusation comes as Venezuela’s opposition, multiple Latin American leaders and the United States refuse to recognize Maduro’s disputed election win, which has been followed by deadly protests during which thousands were arrested.

In a news conference on Saturday, Cabello identified the purported Navy SEAL as William Joseph Castañeda Gómez, and claimed he was the leader of the operation. The minister also named two other detained Americans: David Estrella and Aaron Barrett Logan.

The minister said that in addition to the Americans, two Spanish citizens – José María Basoa Valdovinos and Andrés Martínez Adasme – and one Czech citizen, Jan Darmovzal, were arrested. Venezuelan authorities have also seized 400 US rifles linked to the alleged plot, he said.

Venezuelan authorities showed images of confiscated rifles they said were part of an alleged plot to “destabilize” the country in a news conference on September 14. Venezuelan Government TV/Reuters

“The CIA is at the forefront of this operation,” Cabello said in the news conference, claiming that Spain’s National Intelligence Center was also involved. “That does not surprise us at all,” he said.

He alleged that the operation had “very clear objectives of assassinating President Nicolás Maduro” and other high-ranking Venezuelan politicians including himself and the vice president.

The State Department denied the claims. A spokesperson confirmed on Saturday a member of the US military had been arrested in Venezuela, and that the department was “aware of unconfirmed reports of two additional US citizens detained” in the country.

“Any claims of US involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false,” the spokesperson added. “The United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela.”

The department is seeking additional information, the spokesperson said.

A Spanish foreign ministry source told Reuters it was asking Venezuela for more information.

“The Spanish embassy has sent a verbal note to the Venezuelan government asking for access to the detained citizens in order to verify their identities and their nationality and in order to know what they are accused of exactly,” the source told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

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