Lawyer: Spy probe eyes U.S. military attache

[Judi Lynn]

Lawyer: Spy probe eyes U.S. military attache

Thursday, January 26, 2006 Posted: 1535 GMT (2335 HKT)

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Venezuelan officials are investigating whether a U.S. military attache is linked to naval officers accused of passing secrets to the Pentagon, a lawyer for one of the suspects said Thursday.

Alonso Medina Roa, who represents retired Capt. Jose Ignacio Plaza, told The Associated Press that Venezuelan military prosecutors were investigating whether the officers had ties to a U.S. military attache identified as John Correa.

He said the military prosecutors had accused his client and some active officers of "maintaining relations with the naval attache of the U.S. Embassy here in Venezuela." He said the men were being investigated for the crime of espionage.

U.S. officials declined to comment on the issue Thursday. On Wednesday, U.S. Embassy spokesman Brian Penn said the mission had "received no communication from the Venezuelan government on this issue," and he called it "an internal matter for Venezuela."
(snip/...)

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/01/26/venezuela.us.ap/

[cal04]

1. Venezuela officers 'spied for US'

The Venezuelan government says several military officers have been caught passing state secrets to the US. Vice-President Jose Vicente Rangel said some "low-ranking officers" had passed information to the Pentagon.

Some of the individuals concerned had been detained and some had left the country, he said. Ties between the US and Venezuela were already under strain. Washington is deeply opposed to the government of left-wing President Hugo Chavez.

Mr Chavez accuses the US of supporting attempts to overthrow him, which the US denies. Washington has expressed concerns about Venezuelan democracy under Mr Chavez and about the effect of his government's military purchases on regional stability.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4650232.stm