Venezuela Claims Capture of Mercenaries Allegedly Linked to CIA in ‘False Flag’ Plot

Venezuela Claims Capture of “Mercenary Group” Allegedly Linked to CIA Amid Rising Tensions

Venezuela’s government announced Sunday it had captured what it described as a “mercenary group” allegedly connected to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, claiming the individuals were planning to provoke military conflict with the South American nation.

“A false flag attack is underway in waters bordering Trinidad and Tobago or from Trinidadian or Venezuelan territory to generate a full military confrontation with our country,” Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said in an official statement.

Rodriguez asserted the captured group had “direct information of the American intelligence agency, CIA,” though she provided no evidence to substantiate these claims. The statement lacked crucial details, including the number of people detained, their nationalities, what materials were found in their possession, or specific details about their alleged plot.

Drawing historical parallels, Rodriguez compared the purported plot to the 1898 explosion of the USS Maine near Cuba and the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident off Vietnam—events that served as catalysts for the Spanish-American and Vietnam wars, respectively.

The White House has not responded to requests for comment on these allegations.

This accusation from President Nicolas Maduro’s administration comes at a time of escalating military presence in the region. The Trump administration has recently intensified operations aimed at countering drug cartels allegedly linked to Venezuela’s government. Last week, War Secretary Pete Hegseth deployed the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Caribbean Sea to join other Navy vessels already operating in international waters.

Concurrent with these developments, joint military exercises between the United States and Trinidad and Tobago—Venezuela’s island neighbor—are currently in progress, further heightening regional tensions.

Earlier this month, President Trump confirmed reports that he had authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations within Venezuela, signaling a more aggressive approach toward the Maduro regime. The president has also suggested the possibility of targeting drug cartels over land.

U.S. military forces have conducted at least 10 airstrikes against suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean since last month. These operations have reportedly resulted in the deaths of more than 30 individuals described by U.S. officials as suspected narco-terrorists.

The military buildup includes the deployment of thousands of troops and advanced F-35 fighter jets to the region, representing a significant show of force near Venezuelan territory.

Relations between Washington and Caracas have deteriorated significantly in recent years. Earlier in 2023, the Trump administration placed a $50 million bounty on Maduro, whom U.S. officials have characterized as the leader of Venezuelan drug-trafficking organizations.

For his part, Maduro has consistently accused the United States of seeking regime change in Venezuela. Earlier this month, he made allegations that the U.S. was planning to bomb its own embassy in Caracas as part of a false flag operation designed to justify military intervention.

Venezuela has faced economic and political turmoil for years under Maduro’s leadership, with the United States and many other nations recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the country’s legitimate president in 2019, though his position has weakened over time.

These latest accusations come against a backdrop of humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, where economic collapse has led to widespread food and medicine shortages, spurring one of the largest migration crises in recent history with over 7 million Venezuelans fleeing the country.

Analysts suggest this escalation in rhetoric and military posturing on both sides risks further destabilizing an already volatile region, with potential consequences for neighboring countries and the broader hemisphere.