Diosdado Cabello, Minister of the Interior of Venezuela announced Four American citizens accused by the socialist regime of “hacking” Venezuela's infrastructure and “conspiring” to overthrow dictator Nicolás Maduro were arrested Thursday.
Cabello identified the four detained Americans as Gregory David Webber, David Gutenberg Guillaume, Jonathan Pagan González and Jorge Marcelo Vargas.
Cabello offered no evidence to support his accusations. claimed The detained Americans are said to be part of a broader “mercenary group” with ties to the CIA and Spain's National Intelligence Center (CNI).
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Mr. Cabello accused Mr. Weber of being a “hacker” who sought to “destroy” Venezuela's national infrastructure. Gutenberg Guillaume, who Cabello identified as a “paramedic,” was said to have had a “mission to provide assistance in cases of injury in terrorist activities.”
Cabello said González, an infidel who is being held in the western state of Zulia, is accused of planning “attacks” on Maduro and other government officials and “infiltrating” religious organizations in Zulia state. have been criticized by others.
“Jonathan Pagan González, an American citizen of Puerto Rican origin, has very serious connections in the State of Zulia with plots against the President of the Republic. [Vice President] Delcy Rodriguez and the leaders of the Chavez party,” Cabello claimed.
Marcelo Vargas, further identified as a Bolivian-American dual citizen, was captured and detained “taking photos” of a Venezuelan oil refinery.
“The plan is to overthrow the Bolivarian Revolution,” President Maduro said, adding that the “mercenary group” to which the four Americans are said to belong also includes “several Colombians,” Peruvians, and Lebanese. claimed to be included.
At a press conference, Cabello said 71 “American-made” firearms were reportedly seized in “multiple operations” and 33 rifles said to have been stolen from Venezuela's National Bolivarian Army, allegedly used in a plot to overthrow Maduro. presented. administration.
Cabello claimed that an “investigation” revealed that the mercenaries were brought to Spain by Spain's national intelligence agency, the CNI, but also that the United States, through the CIA and DEA, was planning a “conspiracy plan” against the Maduro regime. '' was accused of being involved.
Cabello also accused the “mercenaries” of having ties to the criminal organizations Torren de Aragua and Torren de Llano, and reiterated that Cabello had been “dismantled” by Venezuelan law enforcement authorities.
“Behind all this is imperialism and its actors, in this case the CIA and the Spanish National Intelligence Center, which is directly responsible for the operation in the recruitment and supply of weapons,” Cabello argued.
Thursday's announcement of the detention of the four Americans came about a month after Cabello's announcement. detention Another group of three Americans accused of “conspiring” against Maduro and his socialist regime, with “deep” CIA and CNI involvement.
Cabello insisted that both groups of detained Americans have already been prosecuted “in accordance with the Venezuelan constitution and laws, based on respect for human rights and due process.”
“All these citizens have already been tried, have complied with the deadlines set by law and have been given the guarantees set by law, and we are investigating them accordingly,” Cabello said. Ta. “All of them have their human rights more respected than at Guantanamo. Their countries must know that they are conspiring against Venezuela to harm our country.”
“No one is being abused. We're not doing that here. They're doing the same thing at Guantanamo, they're doing the same thing elsewhere,” he continued. “To protect the nation's justice system from mercenaries and terrorists, the names of the judges and prosecutors who prosecuted these individuals are not made public. We have a duty to protect their integrity.”
Cabello also thanked Colombia's government, led by far-left President Gustavo Petro, for its “cooperation” with Venezuela's security services to “dismantle these conspiracy plans against the country.”
“Colombian security services helped the Bolivarian government identify logistics operators attempting to bring weapons into Venezuela,” Cabello said. “It is very important that neighboring countries understand that what happens to Venezuela affects their countries, because they will apply it as a destabilizing tactic.”
“We are confident that these operations are taking place not only in Venezuela, but also in other countries that are not aligned with the US government,” he continued.
