#Venezuela claims it arrested ‘CIA spy’ near oil refinery

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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro
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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is claiming that his regime has captured a US spy with a cache of weapons and a large sum of money near two of his country’s oil refineries.

Maduro, who did not identify the alleged spy by name, described him Friday in a televised address as a Marine who had served as a CIA operative in Iraq.

“The gringo empire wants revenge against Venezuela,” he said. “It wants to prevent Venezuela from producing all petroleum products, gasoline.”

The alleged suspect was captured Thursday near the Cardon and Amuay in the northwestern part of the country, Maduro claimed.

The strongman provided no other details, and said that photos and video would be released shortly.

The US has not yet responded to the allegations.

Meanwhile, Maduro said that Venezuelan authorities had infiltrated another plot to blow up an oil refinery at El Palito in the northern state of Carabobo. He provided no further details.

Last month, a Venezuelan court sentenced two former US soldiers to 20 years in prison for their part in an attempt to overthrow the Maduro regime. Luke Denman and Airan Berry were part of a group of 13 people who entered Venezuela by sea from Colombia.