“The US government has nothing to do with what has happened in Venezuela in the past few days,” said Esper in response to a related question.
At the same time, the US State Department said it was trying to learn more about the situation with the detention of American citizens in Venezuela.
“We are making efforts to learn more about the actions of two American citizens who were reportedly detained by the former regime,” RIA Novosti quoted the agency as saying.
The State Department noted that the Venezuelan authorities are conducting a "massive disinformation campaign" that does not allow "to separate facts from propaganda."
Earlier in Venezuela, a new phase of the Bolivarian Shield 2020 military exercises began amid an attempt to invade the country of mercenaries.
The Venezuelan Ministry of Defense reported that on the morning of May 3, a “group of mercenary terrorists organized and trained in Colombia” tried to enter Venezuela by boat.
Colombia later denied any involvement in the incident.
During the clash, several militants were killed, others were captured, including allegedly an employee of the US Drug Enforcement Administration.