Venezuela Warns of Alleged ‘False Flag’ Plot Against American Embassy at Caracas

Venezuelan officials have alerted the United States government about a potential “false flag” operation targeting the American Embassy at Caracas, according to the national assembly president, Jorge Rodríguez.Mr. Rodríguez late Sunday claimed that “extremist sectors of the local Venezuelan right” are planning to plant explosives at the American Embassy complex. He said Venezuela has communicated the threat through “three different channels” to both American officials and an unspecified European embassy.“Through a false-flag operation prepared by extremist sectors of the local right, there are attempts to plant lethal explosives at the U.S. Embassy in Caracas,” Mr. Rodríguez wrote on Telegram.A false flag operation refers to an act carried out to make it appear that a different party is responsible for the incident.The warning comes amid escalating tensions between Washington and Caracas, particularly over the Trump administration’s military deployment in the Caribbean region. Venezuela has condemned what it describes as American threats through naval operations, while the United States maintains these efforts target Latin American drug cartels.The American Embassy at Caracas has been closed since March 2019, when the Department of State suspended operations and evacuated all diplomatic personnel during President Trump’s first administration. Despite the closure, the embassy maintains local staff responsible for security and property maintenance, spending more than $6 million annually on upkeep, according to a September 2025 State Department Inspector General report.Mr. Rodríguez, a close ally of President Nicolás Maduro, declared that Venezuelan authorities have “reinforced security measures at that diplomatic site, which our government respects and protects.” The embassy compound continues to be guarded by Venezuelan police patrols in the surrounding area.The warning occurs as the Trump administration has adopted an increasingly aggressive stance toward Venezuela and Mr. Maduro’s government. Mr. Trump has accused Mr. Maduro of leading the “Cartel of the Suns” and being directly involved in drug trafficking operations, recently doubling the reward for Mr. Maduro’s capture to $50 million.U.S. military forces have conducted at least four strikes against vessels in international waters that officials claim were carrying cartel members smuggling drugs. Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the most recent strike on Friday, saying that American intelligence confirmed “without a doubt” that the vessel “was trafficking narcotics, the people on board were narco-terrorists, and they were operating on a known narco-trafficking transit route.”The military operations represent a shift from traditional Coast Guard interdictions, raising legal questions about the use of lethal force. Mr. Trump has declared the United States to be in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug cartels, designating some as terrorist organizations.The United States has significantly increased its military presence in the Western Hemisphere, with more than 4,000 troops stationed in the Caribbean region as part of counter-narcotics operations. While Mr. Trump has publicly suggested the possibility of military operations on Venezuelan soil, the American government has not indicated plans for a ground incursion.Mr. Maduro has characterized the American naval deployment as a threat to Venezuelan sovereignty, accusing Washington of fabricating drug trafficking narratives to justify attempts to remove him from power.

Venezuela Warns of Alleged ‘False Flag’ Plot Against American Embassy at Caracas

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