• Wion
  • /World
  • /Venezuela claims foiled CIA-backed ‘false flag’ plot to attack US warship and frame Maduro

Venezuela claims foiled CIA-backed ‘false flag’ plot to attack US warship and frame Maduro

Venezuela claims foiled CIA-backed ‘false flag’ plot to attack US warship and frame Maduro

This handout picture released by the Venezuelan Presidency shows Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro gesturing during an official TV show in Caracas on October 27, 2025. Photograph: (Venezuelan Presidency / AFP)

Story highlights

Venezuela claims to have foiled a CIA-financed “false flag” plot targeting a US Navy destroyer near its coast. Four people were reportedly arrested over plans to attack the USS Gravely and blame Caracas. 

Venezuela said Monday (Oct 27) that it had dismantled a CIA-financed cell that was plotting a false-flag attack on a US Navy destroyer stationed near its coast. This comes amid escalating tensions with Washington and neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago. The claim came just hours after the USS Gravely, a guided-missile destroyer, docked in Trinidad and Tobago as part of what US President Donald Trump has described as a Caribbean anti-drug campaign. Caracas, however, said the ship’s presence was a “provocation” designed to trigger conflict in the region.

Venezuela busts CIA-backed 'false flag' operation?

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello alleged that four people were arrested in connection with a plan to attack the Gravely and blame it on Venezuela. He said the group was "financed by the CIA," but gave no details about the suspects or supporting evidence. According to AFP, Venezuela regularly claims to have arrested US-backed mercenaries working with the sole aim of destabilising the Maduro government.

Venezuela suspends gas agreement with Trinidad and Tobago

President Nicolas Maduro, in a separate statement, announced that he has suspended a gas agreement with Trinidad and Tobago, accusing Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar of turning her country into "an aircraft carrier of the American empire against Venezuela."

Trending Stories

The Pentagon has deployed seven warships across the Caribbean and one in the Gulf of Mexico since Trump launched his regional operation earlier this year. The US has also announced the upcoming arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, and its fleet.

Washington insists the deployments are part of efforts to combat narcotics trafficking, but Caracas and some analysts see them as pressure tactics aimed at toppling Maduro’s government, which the United States does not recognise as legitimate.

About the Author

Share on twitter

Moohita Kaur Garg

Moohita Kaur Garg is a journalist and Senior Sub-Editor at WION News with five years of experience covering the volatile intersections of geopolitics and global security. She has e...Read More