Venezuelan extremists plan to attack the shuttered US diplomatic mission in the capital, the countrys top lawmaker has said

Venezuela has warned Washington of a plot by extremist groups to plant explosives at the closed US Embassy in Caracas. National Assembly Speaker Jorge Rodriguez made the announcement on social media on Monday, saying the government had notified the United States "through three different channels" about "a serious threat."

"Through a false-flag operation prepared by extremist sectors of the local right wing, there are attempts to place lethal explosives at the US Embassy in Venezuela," Rodriguez wrote on Telegram, adding that a European embassy had also been notified, without specifying which one.

The US Embassy has been closed since 2019 but remains guarded by staff responsible for security and maintenance. Diplomatic relations were cut that year after Washington recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela's interim president, rejecting Nicolas Maduro's re-election as illegitimate and imposing sweeping sanctions on Caracas.

Tensions between the two countries have spiked in recent weeks following US military strikes on vessels off Venezuela's coast, which Washington described as part of an anti-drug campaign. The attacks, which killed more than a dozen people, were linked by US officials to criminal cartels allegedly operating under the protection of Maduro's government. American officials have accused the Venezuelan leader of maintaining close ties with traffickers and described him as "effectively a kingpin of a narco-state."

Maduro has dismissed the allegations, accusing Washington of seeking to overthrow him and seize Venezuela's natural resources. Caracas has already stepped up its defense posture to counter the increased US military footprint in the region.

Last week, The New York Times reported that senior aides have been urging US President Donald Trump to pursue Maduro's removal, though the US leader has denied any plans for regime change.

(RT.com)