CARACAS (Reuters) – Two U.S. citizens were arrested in Venezuela, part of a group of what President Nicolas Maduro called seven “mercenaries” on Tuesday, the embattled leader said in comments broadcast by Venezuelan television. ‘State.
Maduro, who said the detained U.S. citizens were “very high-level,” did not provide further details or evidence about the arrests.
“Just today we captured seven foreign mercenaries, including two important American mercenaries,” said Maduro, who is expected to take office on Friday for a third term after last July’s disputed elections that the opposition claims he won with a landslide. overwhelming majority. .
Maduro said the group of detainees also included two Colombians and three Ukrainians.
Last month, the Venezuelan government released dozens of prisoners, including 10 Americans, after months of negotiations between Caracas and Washington, while the United States released a close ally of the president, Colombian businessman Alex Saab.
