The U.S. Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia — the closest operating American diplomatic mission to Venezuela — issued an urgent warning over the weekend citing reports that armed socialist gangs known as “colectivos” are actively searching for American citizens or individuals perceived as supportive of the United States.
Through the embassy, the State Department urged all Americans currently in Venezuela to “leave the country immediately,” warning that the United States does not have the capacity to guarantee their safety following the arrest of socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro.
President Donald Trump announced on January 3 that American forces had captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores — referred to by the regime as the “first combatant” — during a brief military operation at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas. The administration said the operation was conducted in support of American law enforcement efforts, and had previously offered a $50 million reward for information leading to their arrests. Both Maduro and Flores face multiple criminal charges, largely related to narco-terrorism, and are expected to stand trial in New York.
In the wake of Maduro’s ouster, regime figure Delsy Rodríguez assumed leadership of the illegitimate socialist government. While Rodríguez has publicly expressed interest in “diplomacy” with the United States and has been described by Trump as “cooperative,” analysts and dissidents warn that she does not exercise full control over the regime. Other powerful chavista leaders have issued far more aggressive rhetoric.
Most notably, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello — himself wanted on international drug trafficking charges — has appeared publicly throughout Caracas over the past week, threatening civilians and warning against public expressions of support for Maduro’s arrest. Cabello has also been linked to the activation of colectivos, motorcycle-based paramilitary groups that have long been used to violently suppress dissent.
While the embassy did not name Cabello directly, its warning focused on the growing threat posed by these gangs.
“There are reports of groups of armed militias, known as colectivos, setting up roadblocks and searching vehicles for evidence of U.S. citizenship or support for the United States,” the embassy warned on Saturday. “U.S. citizens in Venezuela should remain vigilant and exercise caution when traveling by road.”
The advisory emphasized that Venezuela had already been designated a “do not travel” country even before Maduro’s arrest and noted that the United States currently has no functioning embassy in the country. Although some reports suggest Rodríguez may be considering allowing the Trump administration to reopen the U.S. embassy in Caracas, it has yet to be established.
“All U.S. citizens in Venezuela are advised to leave Venezuela as soon as they feel it is safe to do so,” the embassy stated. “U.S. citizens who choose not to depart should prepare contingency plans for emergency situations, as the U.S. government is unable to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Venezuela.”
The chavista foreign ministry responded on Sunday by dismissing the warning as fabricated and claimed that the country remains peaceful and stable. In a statement published by Foreign Minister Yván Gil, the regime insisted that Venezuela is experiencing “absolute calm,” while simultaneously emphasizing that the government maintains exclusive control over weapons following firearm confiscations initiated under late dictator Hugo Chávez.
“The security alert about our country emitted by the State Department of the United States is based on non-existent reports directed at creating a perception of risk that does not exist,” the statement read. “Venezuela is in a state of absolute calm, peace, and stability.”
“All the population centers, communication pathways, control points, and security sectors are functioning normally,” it continued, adding that “the entirety of the arms of the Republic are under the control of the Bolivarian Government.”
Despite these claims, the regime itself has announced a wave of arrests targeting individuals accused of celebrating Maduro’s capture. On Tuesday, police in Mérida state published photographs of two men allegedly detained for expressing support for Maduro’s removal.
According to dissident groups, Maduro activated a state of emergency moments before his arrest, authorizing the detention of individuals deemed supportive of the United States. José Antonio Colina, president of Venezuelans Persecuted Politically in Exile (VEPPEX), told Breitbart News that sources on the ground report aggressive repression by colectivos seeking to silence opposition.
Colina said these groups have carried out door-to-door raids, confiscating mobile phones and searching through personal communications for any indication of dissent or approval of Maduro’s arrest. In some areas, colectivos have reportedly established checkpoints to stop pedestrians and motorists and inspect their phones.
“In this case, the repressive apparatus of persecution is carried out by groups under the control of Diosdado Cabello,” Colina said.
Cabello has openly embraced the use of force, posting images of armed units under his command and writing, “Morale high, absolute unity, and unbreakable loyalty to the fatherland.”
His television program, Con el mazo dando, has shared images of late-night operations involving the National Bolivarian Armed Forces, claiming the deployments are meant to prevent “acts of violence” by those seeking to destabilize the country. In a televised appearance on Thursday, Cabello reiterated that the regime’s firearms seizures ensure it “has a monopoly on weapons.”
“Possession of weapons has allowed us to maintain control,” he said, claiming that the only acts of violence were committed “in the early hours of January 3 by the government of the United States.”
On Sunday, the Interior Ministry announced that Cabello had ordered the “immediate activation and strengthening of proximity patrols in education sectors,” purportedly to protect schools. The ministry also condemned what it described as disinformation campaigns and suggested further censorship measures.
“The Bolivarian government, guarantor of peace and national stability, categorically rejects any intent to generate anxiety among the population through algorithms and disinformation mechanisms,” the statement said. “Our commitment is firm and absolute: to preserve the peace and confidence of our people in the mark of the Bolivarian Revolution.”
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Seems people could subvert the motorcycles by throwing something into the wheels, then take their guns and use them on the next wave.
Or
We could follow them to and from their headquarters with satellite and target them.
If you are following the Venezuela news since the day maduro was arrested you know the armed gangs formed up under the New Interim Maduro supporting leadership and the gangs were tasked to hunt and eliminate any Americans and anti Maduro Venezuelans. This is going to get a lot worse.