The image shows Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello inspecting war weapons and equipment seized from drug-trafficking groups linked to Venezuelan far-right opposition. Photo: Telesur.
Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello denounced an international terrorist network transporting weapons of war from Colombia to Venezuela to carry out simultaneous attacks against healthcare infrastructure, diplomatic missions, and representatives of the governing and opposition parties.
During the press conference of Tuesday, July 1, Cabello provided compelling evidence of a conspiracy, with connections from Colombia and led by María Corina Machado and the former presidents of Colombia, Álvaro Uribe and Iván Duque, who coordinated operations with narco-paramilitary gangs and criminal cells specialized in international arms trafficking. The plot intended to destabilize Venezuela and overthrow the democratically elected government.
“This is a coherent plot,” said Cabello during the press conference. “Here, the Venezuelan right-wing politicians have completely lost their shame, their scruples—they have no scruples. They use drug money to buy weapons, explosives, hitmen, bandits, and terrorists.”
The minister recalled that Venezuelan authorities have been carrying out this security operation and dismantling the plot since December 2024. During this time, criminal elements and mercenaries from other countries were captured and brought to justice, as well as a group of mayors, SENIAT (customs) officials, police officers, and personnel working at various judicial offices.
In this regard, he stated that in the coastal town of Güiria, Sucre state, security forces dismantled a terrorist cell made up of four individuals, including Trinidadian citizen Kendall Jerome Giggs, identified as the main transporter of weapons to Venezuelan territory.
https://twittter.com/teleSURtv/status/1940095606359564507
According to Cabello, this plot constituted an attempt to encourage US intervention by activating internal terrorism carried out by treasonous Venezuelans and accomplices from abroad. Within the framework of the recent operation, Minister Cabello informed that more than 500 different types of rifles were initially seized and that on this occasion, various other assets were confiscated, including 10 assault rifles, grenade launchers, GPS systems, radio communication equipment, cell phones with compromising information, and a .50-caliber machine gun capable of piercing steel.
He reported that this weapon was going to be “used as anti-aircraft fire to shoot down planes,” he explained, adding that this type of weaponry demonstrates the sophistication and lethality of the terrorist plot.
The minister of the interior explained that this gang, apparently dedicated to drug trafficking, had been reconfigured to carry out specific terrorist attacks. Cabello clarified that the seized weapons were not intended for drug trafficking but rather for carrying out high-impact political attacks.
As part of this extensive dismantling operation, Colombian citizens, an Argentinan named Germán Gugliani, and Serbian citizen Antun Dersa, who were coordinating the supply of weapons from vessels in international waters, were also arrested.
Minister Cabello confirmed that these two individuals held clandestine meetings on boats to plan drug trafficking and the flow of weapons to Venezuela, specifically in coordination with Marco José Balbuena Rodríguez, who maintains direct ties to far-right opposition groups.
“That Argentinian, Germán Gugliani, meets with Antun Dersa, the Serbian,” noted Cabello. “They meet on a boat. They hold a meeting to plan drug trafficking and the flow of arms to Venezuela.”
FBI & “Iranian missiles”
Some detainees tried to fly Venezuela via Zulia state, where they were intercepted by security forces on the bridge over Lake Maracaibo. Among those arrested were other Venezuelan citizens, such as Armando José García Miragaya. This individual was allegedly presented as an authorized source to support a false report about the location of alleged Iranian missiles in Venezuelan territory, reported Ultimas Noticias.
According to the plan, this false report would then be presented to the US with the intention of provoking an attack by the imperialist nation against Venezuela. Cabello denounced the operation as seeking to provide substance to Marina Corina Machado’s rhetoric—”to find someone to validate her accusations, thereby justifying the intervention against Venezuela.”
Cabello emphasized that García Miragaya, a Venezuelan scientist and former vice president of control at PDVSA in 2003, established direct contact with the US Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). His mission was to pass information to the US government about strategic locations where a false-flag missile attack against the US could be staged.
“From the beginning, we have denounced that María Corina Machado’s plot involves conspiracy, drug trafficking, terrorism, and the use of armed gangs to generate violence. We denounce that the conspiracy against Venezuela by the US and the FBI continues,” stated Cabello.
The minister of the interior noted that García Miragaya sent the FBI maps presenting the Amuay refinery in Falcón state and an area near the Guri dam in Bolívar state as “Iranian missiles sites.” This supported extremist María Corina Machado’s false claims about alleged bases in Venezuela for launching hypersonic rockets and Iranian atomic bombs.
Cabello clarified that the FBI does not conduct operations without authorization: “no one there works as a free agent.” Cabello explained the operation aimed to fabricate a false case justifying international intervention against Venezuela.
Operations in Caracas against hospitals and embassies
The investigation led authorities to Los Ruices neighborhood in Caracas, where two women and a criminal known as “Zacarías” were captured. All of these suspects were directly linked to the terrorist organization. During this operation, additional rifles and grenade launcher components were seized, confirming the existence of “sleeper” cells in the Venezuelan capital that were prepared to carry out the planned attacks.
Cabello explained that the recovered cell phones contain crucial information that allows tracking communications between different levels of the criminal organization, from transporters to political operators.
Venezuelan authorities confirmed the existence of specific alerts regarding the use of explosives against hospitals, embassies, public service facilities, and attacks against both Chavista and opposition leaders.
Minister Cabello reaffirmed Venezuela’s commitment to ensuring security and completely dismantling these criminal networks, warning that investigations will continue until all those responsible for these operations, part of the Venezuelan far-right’s terrorist plans, are identified.
He added that the Venezuelan far-right was planning to carry out terrorist plots during the recent gubernatorial and congressional elections, but these plots were dismantled thanks to the work of intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
He reiterated that the far-right continues to conspire to try to sow chaos and violence amid the upcoming municipal elections scheduled for July 27.
“They were planning to attack in the gubernatorial elections, but they could not,” Cabello said. “They are preparing for the mayoral elections. I will tell you ahead of time: we have a surprise for you, and you will not like it.”
He also stated that security protocols remain in place in border regions, particularly in the eastern states where sleeper cells linked to this criminal organization might still operate.
(Telesur) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SL
