Two American citizens and five other individuals have been arrested in Venezuela, according to the country's disputed president Nicolás Maduro on state television on Tuesday night.
Maduro refers to the seven as "mercenaries" and claims that among the others arrested are two from Colombia and three from Ukraine.
They came here to carry out terrorist acts against peace, said Maduro in the TV broadcast.
Maduro, who came to power in 2013, has repeatedly claimed over the years that the US is trying to overthrow him. The latest development comes ahead of his inauguration for a third term as president on Friday.
The EU, US, UN, and several neighboring countries have questioned Maduro's victory after the presidential election in July due to the fact that the election data has not been fully disclosed.
