Fourth US Citizen Detained in Venezuela Over Alleged Plot to Kill Maduro

President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a press conference at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela, on Aug. 2, 2024. Jesus Vargas/Getty Images

Venezuelan authorities on Sept. 17 detained a fourth U.S. citizen for allegedly being involved in a plot to assassinate President Nicolás Maduro.

Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said during the National Assembly on Sept. 17 that an American man was arrested in Caracas after he was found taking photos of electrical and oil installations and military units.

Cabello alleged that the man was “part of the plot against Venezuela,” but he did not offer details about the individual’s identity.

Three other U.S. citizens were arrested concerning the alleged plot on Sept. 14, along with two Spaniards and a Czech national. One of them was identified as Wilbert Joseph Castañeda Gomez, whom Cabello described as a Navy SEAL.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller confirmed on Sept. 16 the detention of “one U.S. military member,” noting that there were “reports of two additional U.S. citizens detained” in Venezuela.

Cabello alleged that the CIA was behind the plot to overthrow Maduro, a claim refuted by the State Department, which called such allegations “categorically false.”

The Spanish Foreign Ministry has urged Venezuelan authorities to provide “verified information” regarding the arrest of two Spaniards and to offer “a clarification of the charges they are accused of.”

The ministry stated on Sept. 16 that its embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, was in contact with the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry. The Czech Foreign Ministry has also demanded information about the arrest of its citizen.

The arrest of the fourth U.S. citizen came as Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a phone discussion with Venezuelan opposition leaders Edmundo González Urrutia and María Corina Machado also on Sept. 17.

Blinken pledged that the United States would continue to “champion a return to democratic freedoms in Venezuela” and to hold Maduro and his representatives “accountable for their actions,” according to a State Department readout.

González arrived in Spain with his wife earlier this month to seek political asylum after Venezuelan authorities issued an arrest warrant for him on charges of conspiracy and other crimes.

Tensions have surged in Venezuela following the country’s July 28 presidential election, the results of which have sparked nationwide protests.

The Venezuelan Electoral Council, which is closely allied with Maduro, stated that Maduro won the election with 52 percent of the vote, although they have yet to release a detailed breakdown of the results.

However, an opposition investigation into the election, which collected the tally sheets of about 80 percent of the nation’s voting machines, indicated that González won with twice as many votes as Maduro.

Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia waves to supporters during a political event at a square in the Hatillo municipality of Caracas, Venezuela, on June 19, 2024. Ariana Cubillos/AP Photo

Both the United States and Spain have recognized González as the winner. The European Union’s high representative, Josep Borrell, said that “by a large majority,” González appears to be the winner of the elections.

The Treasury Department on Sept. 12 sanctioned 16 individuals tied to Maduro for their alleged roles in obstructing Venezuela’s presidential election process.

The department stated that Maduro and his representatives have “indiscriminately arrested Venezuelans for exercising their political and civil rights and deployed a range of intimidation tactics to silence the opposition.”

Maduro has dismissed requests from several countries, including the leftist governments of Colombia and Brazil, to provide tally sheets that prove he won the election. Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, has long claimed that the United States is trying to overthrow him through sanctions and covert operations.

Joseph Lord, Reuters, and the Associated Press contributed to this report.