Americans urged to leave Venezuela as paramilitaries hunt US citizens, officials warn

Ronny Reyes / NEW YORK POST  

US citizens are being called to leave Venezuela immediately over reports that armed paramilitaries are setting up roadblocks to hunt down American citizens following the capture of former President Nicolas Maduro.

The State Department sent out a security alert from the US Embassy in Caracas on Saturday, warning Americans to quickly take flights out of the country to escape an ongoing hunt for US citizens or their allies inside Venezuela.

“There are reports of groups of armed militias, known as colectivos, setting up roadblocks and searching vehicles for evidence of US citizenship or support for the United States,” the State Department warned.

"US citizens in Venezuela should remain vigilant and exercise caution when traveling by road." Local reporters and activists have documented incidents where rifle-carrying militias have set up checkpoints around Caracas to inspect vehicles entering and leaving the capital. Sources inside Venezuela confirmed the situation with The Post last week, alleging that the colectivos stopped drivers to check their phones and cars.

 

Venezuela’s national press union said that journalists had their equipment and messaging apps searched during the recent crackdowns.

The roads connecting Caracas to its western border with Colombia have also been filled with dozens of military and police checkpoints, according to local reports. Bogota has issued a similar travel advisory for its citizens to avoid Venezuela.

Venezuela remains at the highest travel advisory threat level, which urges Americans to avoid travel altogether over risks of “wrongful detention, torture in detention, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest, and poor health infrastructure.”

Despite warnings from America and Colombia, Venezuela’s foreign ministry denied any danger to travelers, asserting that the State Department alert was “based on fabricated claims.”

“Venezuela is in absolute calm, peace, and stability,” the ministry said in a statement.

“All populated centers, communication routes, checkpoints, and security devices are functioning normally, and all weapons of the Republic are under the control of the Bolivarian Government, the sole guarantor of the legitimate monopoly of force and the tranquility of the Venezuelan people,” it added.

The warning underscores the volatile situation inside the South American country after President Trump approved a military raid to capture Maduro and his wife earlier this month over narco-terrorism charges. See video here.