Venezuela says it warned U.S. of alleged plot to bomb embassy in Caracas

Venezuelan officials say they have warned the United States about what they described as a credible plot by extremist groups to bomb the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, claiming the plan was part of a “false-flag” operation intended to further destabilize relations between the two countries.

Jorge Rodríguez, Venezuela’s chief negotiator, said in a statement on Monday that authorities had alerted Washington through three separate channels about an alleged plan by “extremist sectors of the local right” to plant explosives at the embassy. Rodríguez said the government had also notified a European embassy to ensure the information reached U.S. diplomatic staff.

Rodríguez said additional security measures were implemented around the facility, which remains under Venezuelan protection despite the absence of U.S. diplomatic personnel since ties were severed in 2019.

During a televised address later on Monday, Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro said intelligence services confirmed the threat through two credible sources, one domestic and one international. He claimed the information pointed to a local extremist group preparing to target the U.S. Embassy with an explosive device.

Maduro said he personally instructed Rodríguez to contact U.S. officials through all available channels and that the response was “positive.” He added that senior security official Diosdado Cabello deployed Venezuela’s diplomatic police to reinforce security around the embassy and coordinate with U.S. security staff stationed there.

Maduro said investigators have identified those allegedly responsible for planning the attack and shared their names, meeting locations, and communications with U.S. authorities. He described the plot as a “typical false-flag operation” intended to provoke conflict and blame the Venezuelan government.

The allegations come amid heightened regional tensions following recent U.S. military strikes targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean.

President Donald Trump has said those operations, which have included strikes near Venezuelan waters, are part of a broader campaign against groups such as Tren de Aragua, a network Washington has labeled a foreign terrorist organization linked to the Maduro government.

Trump said on Sunday the United States may shift anti-cartel efforts “from sea to land,” stating that recent strikes have deterred maritime routes and that traffickers would be “forced to go by land.”