Venezuelan security agencies have begun searching for suspected collaborators following the reported arrest of President Nicolás Maduro by United States special forces, according to a government decree declaring a state of emergency.
The decree, which took effect on Saturday but was fully released on Monday, directed all federal, state, and municipal police units to identify and apprehend individuals believed to have aided the US operation.
Earlier reports by several US media organisations suggested that the American military may have received assistance from sources on the ground during the operation.
The reports further alleged that a member of President Maduro’s inner circle had repeatedly shared information regarding his movements.
In a related development, Venezuela’s journalists’ union, the National Union of Press Workers, announced that 14 journalists were detained in the aftermath of the incident.
The union later confirmed that all the journalists had been released.
