Venezuelan Interior Minister and long-suspected drug lord Diosdado Cabello claimed on Wednesday evening that a U.S. Navy sailor recently detained by Venezuelan law enforcement officials was part of a “plot” to infiltrate the country and attack socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro and his regime.
U.S. authorities confirmed this week that a Navy sailor visiting Caracas was detained on August 30 by Maduro regime security officials. The enlisted sailor was reportedly not on official travel or approved leave when he traveled to Venezuela and is presently in the custody of the Maduro regime’s Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN).
White House spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday that they’re “in touch” with Maduro regime officials to “try and get more knowledge and information about this.”
Cabello, widely considered one of the most powerful members of Venezuela’s socialist regime — and actively wanted by U.S. authorities on narco-terrorism and other related charges — claimed during the latest broadcast of his weekly state-media show, Con el Mazo Dando (Hitting with the Mallet), that the detained U.S. Navy sailor sought to “collect the reward” that the United States presently offers for Maduro:
“The news came out from a gringo military officer. A few months ago we alerted our viewers about the plans of extremist groups that will try to infiltrate Venezuela to attempt against President Nicolás Maduro and leaders of Chavismo, all this to collect the famous U.S. bounty,” Cabello said as he read from a letter.
Since 2020, the United States offers a $15 million bounty for any information that can lead to the arrest and/or conviction of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. The United States also offers $10 million bounty for any information that can lead to Diosdado Cabello’s arrest and/or conviction.
Cabello, whom Maduro recently appointed as Interior Minister to “bring peace” to Venezuela as the authoritarian socialist regime continues its brutal crackdown on dissidents following the July 28 sham presidential election, asserted that he finds “striking” that the White House claimed to be in communication with the Venezuelan authorities.
“Well, it will be with [former interim President Juan Guaidó] that they are talking, or with [opposition presidential candidate] Edmundo González,” Cabello said.
Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab claimed on Thursday that the U.S. Navy sailor was detained in Venezuela after local authorities determined that he “entered without any kind of documentation or support” for his visit.
“He entered without any kind of documentation, without any kind of support for what, what he was coming to the country to do and he is in that process at the moment, that is what I can reveal, I can’t say anything more,” Saab told reporters.
The Venezuelan attorney general further claimed that the detained U.S. sailor “has dual nationality” and that his “main nationality” is Mexican. Saab stated that he cannot give more details about the case until “due process is completed.”
Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh stated during a Thursday press briefing that she did not confirm that the sailor was detained in Venezuela at the end of August while on a personal travel.
“This wasn’t something that was authorized and as you know the State Department recommends against traveling there. So you know, the US Navy working closely with the State Department, I have very little details on this incident,” Singh said.
“Of course, we’d like to see the sailor returned home, but again, I’d refer you to the State Department for any — for any further questions and of course don’t want to go down the rabbit hole of speculating.”
The U.S. Department of State maintains an active Venezuela travel advisory to would-be U.S. travelers to Venezuela, warning that there is a “high risk of wrongful detention of U.S. nationals in Venezuela.”
“Do not travel to Venezuela due to crime, civil unrest, kidnapping, and the arbitrary enforcement of local laws. Reconsider travel due to wrongful detentions, terrorism, and poor health infrastructure,” the travel advisory states.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.