Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced that security services had foiled a “false flag” plot to plant explosives at the shuttered US Embassy in Caracas. He alleged that extremist groups inside the country, with foreign backing, sought to trigger a diplomatic and military crisis with Washington.

Details of the Alleged Plot

In a national broadcast, Maduro said “reliable national and international sources” had alerted his government to plans by a small cell to place an explosive device at the US Embassy compound and attribute the attack to Venezuelan authorities. “The intention was to fabricate an international incident,” he declared, adding that reinforcements were deployed around the site following the alert.

Embassy Security and US Response

The US Embassy in Caracas has remained closed since 2019, with minimal staff overseeing maintenance and security. Venezuelan officials said they informed the United States through multiple diplomatic channels and requested international intermediaries to verify the threat. Washington has not issued any public response or confirmation of the warning.

Broader Military Context

The claim coincides with escalating US naval operations in the Caribbean under counter-narcotics and security missions. Recent incidents included lethal strikes on boats near Venezuelan waters, prompting Caracas to accuse Washington of “extrajudicial aggression.” Maduro warned that any provocation could lead to a regional conflict, calling on allies to denounce the military buildup.

Regional Reactions and Unanswered Questions

Venezuelan diplomats have raised the matter at the United Nations, arguing that the United States is “manufacturing pretexts” for intervention. Russia and other allies have publicly supported Caracas’s stance. However, Venezuelan authorities have yet to release concrete evidence about the suspects or the timing of the foiled attack, and US officials have not commented on its credibility.