The Minister for Internal Affairs, Justice and Peace, Diosdado Cabello, announced this Thursday that the national government dismantled the terrorist group that planned destabilizing actions against the country. Specifically, he referred to Operation Aurora, which was intended to be carried out in Bolívar state in 2019 and the recently dismantled Operation Oro that was preparing to attack Fort Conopoima in Guárico state and Fort Tavacare in Barinas state, and, finally, to the kidnapping plan against magistrate Maikel Moreno.
These last three actions would be carried out at the beginning of this 2025 and, although they are cases separated in time with Operation Aurora, the minister stressed that the same mercenaries were involved:
“We can say at this time that this group that had the intention of carrying out these three destabilizing operations, has been dismantled,” said Cabello in statements to the press from the headquarters of the Ministry of Interior, Justice and Peace in Caracas.
In this regard, he detailed that the following mercenaries have been captured so far: Cristihian Hernández, a.k.a. Teddy; Wilfredo Díaz, a.k.a. Espartano; Henry Castillo, a.k.a. Tío; Jilbert Araña, Génesis Rodríguez Araña, Juan Carlos Lago, a.k.a. Fénix; José Félix Carrizales Sayago; Daniela Araña; Keanny Guevara; Jesús David Rojas; Daesger Hernández, a.k.a. El Ciclista; Elías Noriega, Jhofre Vargas, a.k.a. El Comando; Randol Rivas and Jhoanny López.
He pointed out that each of the criminal members had various functions, such as transporting weapons, organizing logistics, making payments, making false IDs, among others.
He also said that officials and mercenaries from the United States were involved in these operations against Venezuela, among whom stands out the American veteran Matthew VanDyke.
He pointed out that all those arrested are confessing and giving their accounts to the Venezuelan justice system: “These three fronts were dismantled and arrested, with a few exceptions, this group has been dismantled here in Venezuela (…) those who have not been captured are fleeing Venezuela, protected by other countries,” he said.
He pointed out that during the operation was seized telephone equipment which corroborates their links with opposition political sectors and journalists, such as Norbey Marin and Wender Enrqiue, who were involved in the destabilizing plans.
