Venezuela Announces Capture of Alleged DEA Agent With Massive Drug Shipment

Venezuelan authorities announced on Wednesday the seizure of nearly 3.7 metric tons of cocaine and the arrest of several individuals, including a man they claim is a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said security forces intercepted a speedboat in the waters off Falcón state on September 14, carrying 100 sacks of cocaine and 2,400 liters of fuel. The operation, which Cabello described as "clean," ended with five arrests. The detainees were identified as Joel Luis Rodríguez Ramos, Jesús Antonio Quilarte Carreño, Jhonny José Salazar Gutiérrez, Carlos Alberto Bravo Lemus, and Levi Enrique López, who Cabello alleged is linked to the DEA.

According to Cabello, the detainees confessed the shipment was part of a "false flag operation" designed to incriminate Venezuela in international drug trafficking and justify external aggression. "The four detainees are saying they work for the DEA," Cabello told state television, calling the alleged plan a "maneuver for destabilization."

Authorities said the boat originated in Colombia's Guajira region and was connected to a trafficking group called "Los Orientales," allegedly led by Gersio Parra Machado. Cabello argued that the operation demonstrated Venezuela's commitment to combating narcotics without resorting to lethal force. "We don't apply the death penalty," he said, drawing a contrast with U.S. military strikes on alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean.

Cabello also rejected U.S. accusations linking President Nicolás Maduro and senior military figures to narcotics trafficking. He pointed to recent seizures as evidence, noting that Venezuelan forces had intercepted 60 tons of drugs so far in 2025, which he described as the highest amount since 2010.

The announcement follows escalating tensions between Washington and Caracas over drug enforcement. On September 9, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said Venezuela had seized five times more narcotics since expelling the DEA in 2005, rejecting U.S. claims that the country has become a hub for cocaine shipments. She cited United Nations data showing that most cocaine exits Colombia through the Pacific, not Venezuela.

In contrast, DEA Administrator Terry Cole said last month that Venezuela has become a "narco-terrorist state" collaborating with Colombian guerrilla groups and Mexican cartels. The Trump administration has expanded naval deployments in the Caribbean, framing the effort as part of a campaign to dismantle drug networks and target the so-called Cartel de los Soles, which it accuses Maduro of leading.