WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th March, 2019) The Department of State is aware and concerned about reports of an American journalist detained in Venezuela, but has no additional information to share on the matter, a spokesperson told Sputnik on Wednesday.
"The State Department is aware of and deeply concerned with reports of the detention of a US citizen journalist in Caracas, Venezuela," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that due to privacy considerations, the State Department does not have additional information to share at this time.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Venezuelan National Union of Journalists (SNTP) said Venezuela's Military Counterintelligence detained US freelance journalist Cody Weddle's, who lives in Caracas, and his assistant.
According to the SNTP, officers raided Cody Weddle's home at 08:00 a.m. local time (12:00 GMT) and also detained his assistant Venezuelan citizen Carlos Camacho.
The journalists' equipment was seized and there has been no contact with Weddle since the detention.
Venezuela is in the middle of a political crisis that escalated in January after opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president and was backed by the United States, Colombia and Brazil, among others.
Incumbent President Nicolas Maduro called Guaido a US puppet and accused Washington of plotting an invasion. US National Security Adviser John Bolton said over the weekend that Washington would form a coalition to replace Maduro, who is supported by Russia, China, Cuba and other nations.
