Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello announced the arrests of the 3 US citizens as well as 2 Spaniards and a Czech national on state TV Saturday. He said: "These groups seek to seize the country’s wealth, and we as a government will respond firmly to any destabilization attempt." He added that 400 rifles from the US had additionally been seized.
A spokesperson for the US State Department said "Any claims of U.S. involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false. The United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela ... We are seeking additional information. We are closely monitoring the situation." The official declined to provide further details over privacy concerns.
Spain had denied claims that 2 Spaniards in Venezuela were associated with Spain's secret service and were planning to assassinate a Venezuelan mayor. An anonymous Spanish foreign ministry source told Reuters it was asking Venezuela for more information. "The Spanish embassy has sent a verbal note to the Venezuelan government asking for access to the detained citizens in order to verify their identities and their nationality and in order to know what they are accused of exactly," they said. "Spain will decide what to do, if it is going to keep meddling in Venezuela's affairs."
Cabello said of Spain's intelligence agency: "These citizens have links - we know they will say no, that it is a lie - they have links with the center."
