Two Americans Arrested in Venezuela Over Terrorism Claims on Eve of Maduro Inauguration
On the eve of Nicolás Maduro’s inauguration, Venezuelan authorities arrested two Americans on terrorism charges, accusing them of plotting to destabilize the country. Learn the latest developments.
On January 9, 2025, Venezuelan authorities arrested two American citizens along with five other foreign nationals, accusing them of planning acts of terrorism aimed at destabilizing the country. The arrests came just one day before Nicolás Maduro’s inauguration for a contested third term as president.
The Venezuelan government claims the detained individuals were part of a larger plot, though details about the accusations remain vague. The incident adds to the already strained relations between Venezuela and the United States.
"Very high level" Americans are here in Venezuela
According to a Reuters report, President Nicolás Maduro claimed two US citizens were related to "practise terrorism" and also were part of a group of seven who were arrested, though he did not provide any evidence or details of the arrest.
“Just today, we’ve captured seven foreign mercenaries, including two important mercenaries from the United States,” said Maduro to the foreigner press.
Maduro, who is preparing to assume the presidency for a third term on Friday despite the highly disputed results of the July election, announced the arrests of two Colombians and three Ukrainians alongside the Americans.
Maria Corina Machado, opposition leader, was in Caracas during the protest on Jan. 9. Photo: AFP.
He also alleged that his security forces had detained 125 foreign mercenaries from 25 countries, claiming they entered Venezuela with the intention of “committing acts of terrorism against the Venezuelan people.”
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department dismissed Maduro’s accusations, telling Fox News Digital, “Any allegations of U.S. involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are entirely unfounded.”
The U.S. relations with Venezuela under Maduro's regime
The exact number of Americans currently detained in Venezuela remains uncertain following the significant 2023 prisoner swap. During that negotiation, Washington and Caracas arranged the release of dozens of detainees, including 10 Americans, in exchange for Colombian businessman Alex Saab, a close ally of Maduro.
These developments come as opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, who has been declared the president-elect by several nations, including the U.S., visited Washington, D.C. Gonzalez has received strong backing from the Biden administration.
On Monday, President Biden reiterated the U.S.’s stance on the July election results, which Maduro-aligned courts declared in favor of Maduro for a third term. Biden reaffirmed support for Gonzalez, calling him the "true winner" of the election.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan authorities have declined to release ballot-box data to substantiate their victory claims. In contrast, Gonzalez’s team has reportedly published thousands of scanned copies of voting machine results collected by observers, accounting for 80% of the votes. These documents reportedly indicate that Gonzalez won the election.