Venezuela Claims CIA 'False Flag' Attack Foiled As US Increases Pressure By Deploying Bombers

Last Updated:October 28, 2025, 11:42 IST

Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello stated Monday that a CIA-financed cell planned to attack the USS Gravely and blame Caracas.

USS Gravely warship crew stand on the bow and starboard of the vessel. (Image: AFP)

Venezuela announced it had dismantled a CIA-funded cell plotting a false-flag attack on a US warship in the southern Caribbean, as the US increased pressure on Caracas by flying bombers nearby.

Venezuelan authorities claimed to have uncovered a plan targeting the USS Gravely, a guided-missile destroyer that docked Sunday in Trinidad and Tobago, within firing range of Venezuela.

The ship’s arrival sparked outrage in Caracas, which labelled it a “provocation" aimed at inciting a war in the Caribbean.

Meanwhile, tensions escalated with Trinidad and Tobago, whose Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is a vocal critic of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro and a supporter of US President Donald Trump’s military campaign against drug traffickers in the Caribbean.

Maduro announced on Monday evening the suspension of a gas agreement with Trinidad and Tobago, accusing Persad-Bissessar of turning her country “into an aircraft carrier of the American empire against Venezuela."

As part of Trump’s campaign, the Pentagon has deployed seven warships to the Caribbean and one to the Gulf of Mexico.

The US also announced the imminent arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, and its accompanying fleet.

Venezuela and some observers believe Trump’s administration is using these military deployments to pressure Maduro’s government and oust him, as Washington does not recognise him as the legitimate president.

Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello stated Monday that a CIA-financed cell planned to attack the USS Gravely and blame Caracas.

Four individuals were arrested, Cabello said, without providing details about the suspects. Venezuela frequently claims to have arrested US-backed mercenaries aiming to destabilise Maduro’s government.

Alongside his naval buildup, Trump recently confirmed authorising CIA operations in Venezuela and considering ground strikes.

Since September, US forces have destroyed at least 10 boats they claimed carried narcotics, killing 43 people in international waters.

Experts question the legality of these attacks, and Washington has provided no proof other than aerial videos to link the vessels to trafficking.

Tensions further increased Monday as two US B-1B bombers flew over the Caribbean near Venezuela, marking the third such show of force in recent weeks.

Data from tracking website Flightradar24 showed the bombers, which took off from North Dakota, flying parallel to the Venezuelan coast before disappearing from view.

Earlier missions included a B-1B sortie last week and a B-52 flight earlier this month, demonstrating Washington’s intent to escalate pressure on Maduro’s government.

Washington and Caracas have long been at odds, with the US rejecting Maduro’s election victories in 2018 and 2024 as fraudulent.

Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez had earlier called for the suspension of gas deals with Trinidad, to increase the crisis’s cost for the US and its ally.

Trinidadian PM Persad-Bissessar rejected what she termed Venezuelan “blackmail," stating her country remains committed to security and energy cooperation.

Washington recently allowed Trinidad and Tobago to exploit the Dragon gas field in Venezuelan waters despite a US oil embargo, heightening friction between the neighbours.

Maduro, who denies US allegations of leading a drug-trafficking network, has accused Washington of “fabricating a war" for political purposes.

(With agency inputs)

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The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d...

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