Venezuela Seizes US Weapons, Arrests Militias
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Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said 4 officers and 22 “criminals” were killed in the clashes.
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Two days of clashes between police and armed gangs west of Caracas
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez confirmed the arrest of three armed men as well as confiscating US and Colombian military weapons.
Rodriguez said during a televised statement that “three members of Colombian armed gangs were detained in connection to the raids”.
Venezuelan officials say that at least 22 “perpetrators of misdemeanors” and 4 officers have died in clashes between police and an armed gang in northern Caracas this week.
In addition, Venezuelan police raided four popular areas in Caracas on Saturday to combat armed gangs.
Moreover, local media said that dozens of people had been killed when gangsters and police began battling in popular neighborhoods known as "barrios" or slums. However, no official tally for this turbulence has been provided in recent days.
On her part, Venezuelan Interior Minister Carmen Melendez said on Saturday that the administration had instructed the "deployment of police forces to protect the citizens in regions controlled by criminals”.
At least three individuals were killed in these skirmishes in June, including a nurse who was shot dead while refueling her car at the Gas Station.
Meanwhile, Venezuela held the United States and Colombia responsible for carrying out a series of sabotage operations and attempting to incite violence in their country.
Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro has previously accused the US of plotting to kill him and topple his government.
![In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had "engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)](https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2024/12/21/b4a69f2e-8682-43e4-9d37-49482b304ab3/3.png?v=2&format=webp "In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had \"engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)")
