Venezuelan authorities say a US national was planning an attack on oil facilities.

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JUSTICE

An "American spy" arrested last week in Venezuela is to be charged with "terrorism", "arms trafficking" and "criminal conspiracy" for his alleged involvement in a planned "thwarted attack" on oil facilities, he said. announced Monday the Attorney General of the South American country.

Seven Venezuelans, including a soldier, must also be indicted for their alleged involvement in this company which aimed to "destabilize" Venezuela by attacking "its oil industry and its electricity system," Tarek William Saab added during 'a televised intervention.

Los ciudadanos transitaban en un vehículo marca Chery, model Arauca, donde fue encontrado a lanzagranadas AT4 caliber 84 mm;

una sub ametralladora modelo UZI caliber 9 mm;

cuatro piezas rectangulares de presunto material explosivo (C4) y dinero en moneda extranjera.

pic.twitter.com/bI8SY07sdJ

- Cancillería Venezuela 🇻🇪 (@CancilleriaVE) September 14, 2020

On Twitter, Saab then claimed that the American "carried out three-month-a-year missions to Iraq between 2006 and 2016", where he worked as a "communications operator on a secret CIA base", on behalf of of the private security company MVM.

After having initially designated him as “Matthew Jhon Heath”, the prosecution corrected in a new press release his name to “Matthew John Heath”.

The announcement of his capture was made Friday by Nicolas Maduro.

According to the socialist president, he "spied, in the state of Falcon (north-west), the refineries of Amuay and Cardon", the refining center of Paraguana.

He was captured in possession of "heavy weapons" and a "large amount of dollars," Maduro said.

Regular accusations against Americans

According to the prosecutor, he was traveling in the company of a Venezuelan soldier, Darwin Urdaneta, in a vehicle where “a grenade launcher, a machine gun” and what can be compared to “explosive material” were discovered.

The arrest came after authorities "discovered and dismantled" a plan to blow up the El Palito refinery, the closest to Caracas, located in central Carabobo state, according to the Venezuelan president.

Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world, but it is hit by massive fuel shortages.

From 3.2 million barrels per day twelve years ago, its production has fallen to less than 400,000 barrels per day today.

The Venezuelan government regularly accuses Donald Trump's administration of being involved in plans to overthrow Nicolas Maduro, whom it does not recognize.

Last month two other Americans, Luke Alexander Denman and Airan Berry, were sentenced to 20 years in prison on charges of "terrorism" following a failed armed incursion into Venezuela last May.

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