Security around Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) has been increased for the last three weeks after U.S. intelligence has uncovered a possible plot by a powerful Venezuelan politician to assassinate the senator.
Rubio has been outspoken in his criticism of the authoritarian rule of Venezuela’s president Nicolas Maduro.
CBS Miami has obtained a memo written by a U.S. federal agency, which offers details of the plot. DHS has circulated the memo to state and local law enforcement agencies. CBS Miami says it has agreed not to show the memo and to not cite names, locations, or identifying information.
The Miami Herald first reported the memo on Sunday.
The 2-page memo is marked “law enforcement sensitive.”
The Miami Herald reports that U.S. government agencies became aware of a “possible threat against Florida United States Senator Marco Rubio.” The memo also refers to a “potentially grave threat to Sen. Rubio.”
The memo says the threat comes from Diosdado Cabello, a top Venezuelan lawmaker who is a former top military official. The memo emphasizes, however, that the information concerning the possible assassination plot is not corroborated.
According to the memo, Cabello might have gone as far as to contact “unspecified Mexican nationals” in connection with his plan to harm Rubio.
Last month, Rubio described Cabello the “Pablo Escobar of Venezuela.” A week ago on Twitter, Cabello dubbed the senator “Narco Rubio.”
The Miami Herald notes that for years, U.S. authorities have investigated Cabello and other high-ranking Venezuelan government members for suspected drug smuggling, an allegation Cabello has denied. Earlier this year, the United States accused Vice President Tareck El Aissami of being a drug kingpin and later revealed he had at least $500 million in illicit funds tucked overseas.a
Cabello, however, is not, among the thirty Venezuelan officials — including Maduro himself — whom the Trump administration has recently placed under financial sanctions for undermining democracy, engaging in corruption and repressing dissent.
“The U.S. Capitol Police [USCP] is responsible for the security of members of Congress. It would be inappropriate for DHS to comment on the seriousness of the threat. However, Federal Protective Service (FPS) and USCP collaborate regularly and have processes in place to share information and, as applicable, process requests for assistance. USCP has not requested assistance at this time,” DHS spokesman Dave Lapan told CBS News.
