‘Depart Immediately’: Armed Militias Hunting Americans In Venezuela, Embassy Warns

The State Department is urging Americans to leave Venezuela immediately, after reports of armed pro-regime militias attempting to hunt down U.S. citizens in the wake of the U.S. capture and arrest of former dictator Nicolás Maduro.

In a security alert issued Saturday by the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, officials warned that the situation on the ground has become increasingly dangerous. The alert advised U.S. citizens to depart the country immediately by commercial flight and cautioned against road travel due to armed groups operating checkpoints.

“Before departure, U.S. citizens should take precautions and be aware of their surroundings,” the State Department wrote. “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 warning comes after U.S. forces on Jan. 3 captured Maduro and his wife to face narcoterrorism, drug trafficking, and firearms charges in New York. In the wake of the operation, Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, has been installed as president with the backing of the Trump administration.

Since Maduro’s arrest, groups of rifle-armed civilians have been canvassing the streets of Caracas, intimidating those perceived to support the U.S. action, CBS News