Maduro says there were two Americans in the alleged maritime invasion

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Venezuela denounces attempted invasion 3:17

(CNN Spanish) - The questioned president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, presented this Monday night alleged evidence of the participation of two American citizens in which, on Sunday, his government had denounced as a maritime and armed incursion into the state of La Guaira, one hour from Caracas.

Through state television VTV, Maduro said that the captured foreigners identified themselves as "members of Donald Trump's security."

CNN has not been able to verify these facts so far.

On Sunday, the Minister of the Interior, Justice and Peace, Néstor Reverol, reported that "a group of terrorist mercenaries from Colombia tried to carry out an invasion by sea."

According to Reverol, the group tried to enter speedboats along the coast of La Guaira, in order to carry out "a new attempt at a coup d'état".

The president of the contested National Constituent Assembly Diosdado Cabello reported that 8 people died and 2 were arrested as a result of the joint police and military action.

In a statement on Monday, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry indicates that one of those captured confessed to being "a veteran agent of the United States Anti-Drug Agency (DEA)." CNN has not been able to verify this claim.

Consulted by CNN, a spokesman for the US State Department said they have "little reason to believe anything" that the Venezuelan government denounces. "The Maduro regime has been consistent in its use of disinformation to distract attention from Venezuela's mismanagement."

He stated that the policy of the United States is to support the South American country for the "return to democracy."

The Colombian Foreign Ministry rejected the accusations through a statement: "The claims made by the dictatorial regime of Nicolás Maduro have been made trying to blame our country for alleged destabilization events." And he added that what was said by the questioned Maduro government "constitute attempts to divert attention from the real problems that the people of Venezuela are experiencing."

"This is an unfounded accusation, which attempts to commit the Government of Colombia in a speculative plot," says the statement.

With information from Osmary Hernández and Florencia Trucco

READ:

• Guaidó rejected an alleged contract with mercenaries that the Maduro government presents as evidence of the maritime incursion
• Government of Venezuela denounces 8 arrests in a new alleged maritime raid

Nicolás Maduro