Caracas, September 18 (RHC)-- The Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace of Venezuela, Diosdado Cabello, announced the capture of another U.S. citizen in Caracas, linked to attempts to destabilize that South American country.

During his address at the Ordinary Session of the National Assembly, Cabello highlighted that the U.S. national was arrested at the time he was photographing electrical installations, oil facilities and military units in the Venezuelan capital.

“At this moment, 20 minutes ago, another citizen of U.S. origin was captured, whom we had been following.  He was captured here in Caracas (…)  We are convinced that this gentleman is part of the plan against Venezuela,” said Cabello, who affirmed that this is not the first time that this citizen has visited the country.

Cabello indicated that previously in the state of Aragua, an active military officer by the name of Wilbert Joseph Castañeda Gómez was arrested.  He led the operation to assassinate President Nicolás Maduro, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, the also Vice President of the Sector for Politics, Citizen Security and Peace, Diosdado Cabello, the President of Parliament, Jorge Rodríguez, and other colleagues.

“He was captured with his U.S. passport; he is a specialist in explosives training; specifically trained in the geographic area of ​​Latin America: Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela."

Cabello explained that two Spanish citizens named José María Basoa and Andrés Martínez Adasme were also arrested, who had already committed acts of violence in the Petare parish of the Sucre municipality, in the state of Miranda.

In this regard, he stated that the Spanish citizens are linked to the Spanish National Intelligence Centre (CNI) and to militants of the opposition party Primero Justicia, some of whom are based in Colombia.

“The Kingdom of Spain is recruiting mercenary personnel.  The CNI in Spain depends on the CIA in reality.  The CNI chiefs are sent by the CIA.  The rest is a façade, a mask.  The one who gives orders to the CNI is the CIA,” he stressed.

Also, Cabello noted that the detainees passed through the city of Bogotá, capital of Colombia, where the actions that they intended to carry out in Venezuela were planned.

“We asked the Colombian Government to help us in this investigation.  Right there, by chance, a man of Czech nationality, Jan Darmovzal, was captured on the Puerto Ayacucho airstrip.  What does the Puerto Ayacucho airstrip have that draws attention?  Well, it has Colombia right next to it.  You cross with a boat and you are on the other side," he said.

Cabello confirmed that it is another "tourist," an active member of the Czech Army, a parachuting specialist and an expert in artillery.

He also indicated that more than 400 first-line rifles and weapons were seized in the operations, coming from the United States to carry out plans to destabilize the country.