The Venezuelan government continues to denounce alleged disinformation campaigns and international conspiracies, although it has not provided details about the cases. Photo: Courtesy
Guacamaya, June 28, 2025. The Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace, Diosdado Cabello, announced this Friday the arrest of a 74-year-old academic who was accused of attempting to provide information to the United States about the alleged location of Iranian missiles within Venezuelan territory. The information was disclosed on the radio program Sin truco ni maña, which he co-hosts with congresswoman Tania Díaz.
During the broadcast, Cabello explained that the arrest took place after counterintelligence operations managed to access a phone recording in which the detainee, a chemist by profession, was having a conversation with a person described as having a “gringo (American) accent.” According to Cabello, the academic discussed the “danger that Venezuela represents for the United States.”
The Venezuelan official pointed out that the arrest was made before the man was able to establish direct contact with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), where he allegedly planned to deliver the coordinates of the missiles. Cabello also claimed that the detainee was not acting alone, but did not provide further details about other possible accomplices.
The incident occurred just two days after Cabello himself confirmed on his show Con el Mazo Dando that Venezuela is manufacturing Iranian combat drones. “You can’t even imagine what we’re making,” said the minister in response to allegations made by opposition leader María Corina Machado during an interview with Fox News.
Diosdado Cabello had already accused Machado of trying to promote the narrative in public opinion that Iran is manufacturing drones and ballistic missiles in Venezuela, with the intention of involving the country in international conflicts. In her interview with Fox News, Machado claimed that Venezuela was the only country in Latin America with the capacity to build drones.
