(L) Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and the teleSUR’s CEO Patricia Villegas and the VTV’s journalist Julio Riobo (R).    Photo: teleSUR

Caracas, September 15 (RHC)-- Venezuela’s Minister of the Interior, Justice and Peace, Diosdado Cabello, said over the weekend that a U.S.-organized terrorist plot is being dismantled by Venezuelan authorities.  He emphasized that the intelligence agencies of Spain were also responsible for recruiting mercenaries to carry out terrorist actions.

During an interview with teleSUR and Venezuelan public media, Cabello gave more details about the intelligence operation that allowed this new attempt to destabilize Venezuela and attack high government officials to be thwarted.

Cabello said Wilber Joseph Castañeda was detained by Venezuelan authorities.  An active-duty member of the U.S. military, Castañeda was in the country during the electoral process on July 28th and headed operations for the coup plot.

Diosdado Cabello explained to teleSUR’s journalists that Castañeda entered Venezuela twice: in March and July, and since arriving in the country began making contacts with politicians and organized crime.  He is a top-level military operator and is making statements and confessions about his actions, Cabello said.  On his cellphone, there were chats showing coordination of violent terrorist actions on July 28th, 29th and 30th.

The Venezuelan interior minister said another U.S. citizen who has been detained is an expert on hacking, which could be linked to a more comprehensive plan, including attacks on basic services to generate unrest in the country.

In addition, two Spanish citizens have been arrested -- José María Basoa and Andrés Martínez -- both members of Madrid's intelligence agencies.  And a Czech citizen was also detained, according to Minister Cabello.

The Spanish citizens have connections with Castañeda, with political sectors and criminal groups that would execute the operations they were preparing.   According to the plan, Spain was going to supply the foreign mercenaries for this operation.  But all evidence points to the fact that the entire operation was planned in the United States.

Regarding the Czech citizen, Cabello explained that he worked as a mercenary in Europe and was part of a group which also included French mercenaries.  In a notebook he kept, his connections with Venezuelan politicians are detailed, as well as notes on methods of torture and how to survive in the jungle.

Diosdado Cabello explained that the coordination of these actions was gradually moving to Ecuador.  He said that it is no longer so easy for the mercenaries to work in Colombia, with the presidency of Gustavo Petro.  Conspiracies were much easier to organize there during the administration of former Colombian President Iván Duque, who was a declared  enemy of the Bolivarian Revolution.

Minister Cabello also reported that intelligence agents detected and seized 400 rifles, automatic weapons and munitions.  Some of them were captured before the presidential elections of July 28th, but most were seized later.  Several members of criminal groups  who are in prison intended to escape and use these high-powered weapons.  

[ SOURCE: teleSUR ]