Venezuelan security forces have launched a nationwide manhunt for suspected collaborators following the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro by United States military special forces.
The crackdown follows the declaration of a state of emergency, which took effect on Saturday and was fully published on Monday. Under the emergency directive, police units at the federal, state, and municipal levels have been ordered to identify and arrest individuals believed to have aided the US-led operation that culminated in Maduro’s arrest.
Authorities described the sweeping security action as a necessary measure to protect national security and restore stability after what they labelled a foreign-backed intervention.
Earlier reports by several US media outlets suggested that American forces may have received local assistance during the operation. According to the reports, a member of Maduro’s inner circle allegedly leaked details of the former president’s movements on multiple occasions, pointing to a possible high-level internal breach.
In a related development, Venezuela’s journalists’ union, the National Union of Press Workers, revealed that at least 14 journalists were detained in the immediate aftermath of the operation. The union later confirmed that all those arrested had been released but raised concerns over press freedom amid the ongoing state of emergency.
So far, Venezuelan authorities have not officially disclosed the identities of the alleged collaborators or provided additional details on the scale and duration of the security operation.