WASHINGTON

Venezuela announced Saturday the arrests of six foreign nationals for allegedly plotting to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello confirmed the arrests at a news conference in Caracas and said the three suspects from the US, two from Spain and a Czech national were planning to assassinate Maduro and organize "terrorist acts" within the country.

Cabello said 400 rifles and pistols, allegedly sent from the US, were seized during an intelligence operation, which he said would be used to "cause violence" in Venezuela.

He claimed that the two Spanish nationals who were arrested were linked to Spain's National Intelligence Center (CNI).

Spanish government sources, however, denied that the individuals were working for the CNI, according to Spanish media reports.

The Spanish Embassy in Caracas reportedly sent a formal note to the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry, requesting confirmation of the identities and nationalities of the detainees, and clarification of the charges against them.

Following the July 28 Venezuelan presidential elections, Spain backed opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez and granted him protection in Madrid, sparking a diplomatic crisis.

After a decision by the Spanish parliament to recognize Gonzalez as the president of Venezuela and Defense Minister Margarita Robles' description of Maduro as a "dictator," Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil recalled the country's ambassador to Madrid for consultations.

Parliament Speaker Jorge Rodriguez also demanded that "all diplomatic, economic, and commercial relations" with Spain be severed.