Venezuela announces arrest of alleged CIA-linked 'mercenaries'

Venezuela has announced the arrest of alleged CIA-linked "mercenaries".

The latest move came after Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez claimed Sunday that the country’s security forces had captured a group of mercenaries allegedly planning a “false flag” operation in the region under the direction of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Joint military exercises

Rodríguez made the statement as joint military exercises between the United States and Trinidad and Tobago took place in the Caribbean.

She denounced the drills as a “military provocation” against Venezuela, accusing both nations of escalating regional tensions.

“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,” Rodríguez said in a statement.

She did not provide evidence or additional details to substantiate the claims.

US warship

Her remarks came as the USS Gravely, a US Navy guided missile destroyer, arrived in Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago, on Sunday.

Both US and Trinidadian officials described the visit as part of a series of joint training exercises aimed at strengthening regional security.

US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Jenifer Neidhart de Ortiz said the drills were designed to “address shared threats like transnational crime and build resilience through training, humanitarian missions, and security efforts.”

An aerial image released Sunday showed the USS Gravely docked at Port of Spain, marking a visible show of US naval presence in the southern Caribbean.

The destroyer’s arrival follows reports that the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford is also maneuvering closer to Venezuelan waters. President Nicolás Maduro condemned the deployment, calling it an attempt by Washington to “fabricate a new eternal war” against his government.

Rising US-Venezuela tensions

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump confirmed that he had authorized the CIA to carry out covert operations in Venezuela, a revelation that fueled Caracas’s accusations of interference.

Maduro has previously accused the US of plotting false flag attacks, including an alleged plan to plant explosives in the US Embassy in Caracas in early October.

Washington, for its part, has accused Maduro of leading the Tren de Aragua, a sprawling transnational crime syndicate. The US has also targeted vessels off Venezuela’s coast, claiming they were used to traffic drugs into the United States.

Trump has hinted that such operations could “move inside Venezuelan territory” if deemed necessary — a statement that has only deepened fears of escalation in the region.