Venezuela Says Group of 'Mercenaries' Attempted Attack on Coast

An unspecified group of “mercenaries” were caught trying to enter Venezuela along its Northern coast near the capital Caracas and were stopped by security forces, Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said.

The boats came from neighboring Colombia and the plan was to “assassinate leaders of the government” and create chaos, Reverol said in comments on state television early Sunday, while adding that the operation was ongoing and could include other points of attack. Some people were killed while others were detained and assault rifles were confiscated, he said.

“The plan was to commit terrorist acts in the country, assassinate leaders of the revolutionary government and add to the spiral of violence while generating chaos and confusion in the population and attempt a new coup d’etat,” Reverol said.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who is deemed illegitimate by more than 50 countries after a re-election in 2018 that was believed to be fraudulent, has denounced countless attempts to remove him from power. A year ago, opposition leader and head of the National Assembly, Juan Guaido rallied some soldiers behind him to try to force Maduro from power though it quickly failed when some key players backed out at the last moment.

In 2018, a drone with explosives detonated near an outdoor speech given by Maduro.