Venezuela says weapons cache uncovered, 4 foreigners detained in suspected terrorist cell

[Judi Lynn]

Venezuela says weapons cache uncovered, 4 foreigners detained in suspected terrorist cell
RACHEL JONES | Associated Press Writer
8:14 PM EDT, May 9, 2009

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan police uncovered a cache of weapons and explosives at a Caracas apartment and later detained four foreigners on suspicion of planning terrorist acts, authorities said Saturday.

While announcing the detentions, Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami accused foes of President Hugo Chavez of "looking for violence," although he did not link the case to the political opposition. Chavez has repeatedly charged that the opposition is plotting to assassinate him or spur his ouster.

El Aissami said a police raid Friday on an apartment near the capital's center found C-4 explosive, electric detonator systems, thousands of cartridges, and 14 rifles of different models, including five with telescopic sights, five with laser sights and one with a silencer. Documents and a computer found there were being studied, he said.

"This type of military arsenal is used for military actions and operations, with the precise objective of wiping out adversaries," he said.

More:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-lt-venezuela-terrorists,0,2746230.story

[Judi Lynn]

1. Google translation of a Deutsch Presse-Agentur article:

Venezuelan government seized arsenal of alleged "terrorist" group

Venezuelan authorities today announced the seizure of an arsenal of a "terrorist organization" operating in Caracas, in the operation were arrested three and a French Dominican.
Caracas. Venezuela. .- DPA

Interior Minister Tarek El Aissami reported seized were weapons used in operations with specific objectives to destroy enemies, "military uniforms and ammunition

He said that the detainees are Dominicans Luini Campusano Omar de la Cruz, Edgar Sanchez and Diomedis Campusano Floirán Perez, and the French Frederic Laurent Bocquet, allegedly trained in military matters and sniper.

"We can show that this type of weaponry used by military organizations for terrorist actions are destabilizing, this finding does not hesitate to tell the country that we have taken a serious blow to terrorism and those groups that seek to drag Venezuela scenarios blood and confrontation, "said the minister at a press conference.

He added that the state security agencies are alert and deployed to stop any threats against the people and against President Hugo Chávez. "

The official said the weapons seized included 500 grams of C4 explosives, a cable segment electroconductive, 11 electrical detonators for explosives, 19,721 rounds of various calibers, 14 rifles of various models, including five with telescopic sights, five for laser and with a silencer.

They also seized five rifles, three machine guns, four pistols, 51 porters, two bulletproof vests and 11 radio transmitters.

http://www.lanacion.com.py/noticias_um-244947.htm

[Judi Lynn]

2. Google translation from a different article in Spanish. More materials detailed:

Dominicans could be accused of being terrorists

There invlucrado they say is a French sniper.

By News Services
Journal DigitalRD.Com

Dominicans Three arrested in Venezuela after the authorities confiscated an arsenal are in serious trouble, since that country's authorities are satisfied that it is to infiltrate this nation to produce terrorist attacks.

Caracas, May 09 ABN .- Although the investigations are just beginning the discovery and subsequent seizure of the arsenal of weapons and military garments that made the Metropolitan Police (PM), this Friday, it was known that this type of weapon used for operations with objectives accurate to annihilate enemies belonging to a terrorist organization operating in the residential complex of the parish Altamar Florida in Caracas.

The Minister of Power for Interior Relations and Justice (MIJ), Tareck The Aissami, said Saturday that because they are already 4 people arrested.

These were identified as Luini Campusano Omar de la Cruz (38); Floirán Edgar Sanchez (29); Diomedis Campusano Perez (31) Dominican nationality, and a French name Frederic Laurent Bocquet, who was known is a person trained in the field military sniper who was part of the army of a European country not listed.

The French citizen was caught in the Nueva Esparta state by a committee of the Body of Scientific, Criminal and (CICPC).

According to the consultation from the International Police (Interpol), Bocquet no records of any agency's request, we also learned that recorded its first entry into the country in 1996 and since then has several movements.

El Aissami explained that according to information that can be drawn from the documents and a computer found at the site of discovery, they have not ruled out further arrests.

"We can show that this type of weaponry used by military organizations for terrorist actions are destabilizing, this finding does not hesitate to tell the country that we have taken a serious blow to terrorism and those groups that seek to drag Venezuela scenarios blood and confrontation, "he said.

He added that the various public safety agencies of the state are deployed and vigilant to any threat that seeks to stop attacking the people and against the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez Frías.

The weapons found were 500 grams of C4 explosives, a cable segment electroconductive 11 electrical detonators for explosives, 19,721 rounds of various caliber, 14 rifles of various models, of which 5 are with telescopic sights, laser for 5 and 1 with a silencer.

5 In addition 12 gauge shotguns, machine guns, 3, 4 pistols of various calibers, 51 cacerinas firearms of different calibres, 2 bulletproof vests, 11 radio transmitters, 3 portable radio point to point, 1 radio base.

7 were also found military uniforms that do not correspond to those used by the Venezuelan Armed Forces, 8 facsimiles grenades used for training, 10 facsimiles of guns of various calibers, 6 plates of vehicles with foreign registration plates, various equipment for recharging and development of ammunition, an anti-gas mask, 7 cells, 1 knife, war, computer equipment, packages containing gunpowder 9.

MIJ became the holder of a recognition of the body of the Metropolitan Police has is acting at the height of the revolutionary process.

http://www.diariodigital.com.do/articulo,40605,html

[Judi Lynn]

3. This article, google translated, says the French named person is a trained military sniper:

Venezuelan authorities gave heavy blow to terrorism
Saturday, May 09, 2009

May 09 2009, 18:07 Caracas, 9 may (PL) The Venezuelan authorities gave a hard blow to a terrorist group that sought to drag the nation of blood and scenes of confrontation, said today the Minister for the Interior and Justice (MRIJ) Tareck The Aissami.
The Aissami statements were made at a press conference 24 hours after the Metropolitan Police seized an arsenal of weapons used for operations with precise objectives.

Among the stash of 500 grams were recorded C4 explosives, a cable segment electroconductive, 11 electrical detonators for explosives, 19 thousand 721 cartridges of various calibers, 14 rifles of various models, including five with telescopic sights and an equal number with peepholes laser with a silencer.

In addition, five 12-caliber rifles, three machine guns, four guns of various calibers, 51 cacerinas firearms of different calibers, two bulletproof vests, 11 radio transmitters, three portable radios point to point, and a radio base equipment computer.

Facsimiles were also confiscated 10 guns of various calibers, six plates of foreign registered vehicles, ammunition reloaders, a gas mask, seven cell phones, command a knife nine Packaging wildfire.

So far four people were arrested and identified as Luini Campusano Omar de la Cruz, Edgar Sanchez Floirán; Campusano Diomedis Perez, of Dominican nationality, and a French name Frederic Laurent Bocquet.

Bocquet is a trained military sniper in the area that formed part of the army of a European country not mentioned, said Aissami.

The owner of MRIJV did not rule out further arrests under the newly initiated investigations, and called terrorist organizations not to play with the hope of the people, nor with the change process in Venezuela on the path of peace and democracy.

He added that the various security agencies are deployed to stop any threat that seeks to attack the people and the president of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, said the Minister.

http://www.prensa-latina.cu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=81789&Itemid=1

~~~~~~~~~~~~
This article says the materials belonged to the French guy, who was caught having fled to a small island off Venezuela:

Dominican caught with weapons and explosives Venezuela

Three Dominicans and a French are investigated in Caracas, Venezuela, after being arrested on Saturday in an apartment in that city where the authorities say they found an arsenal of weapons, explosives and ammunition.

The commissioner of police science from Caracas, Wilmer Flores, identified as Edgar Floirán Dominicans, Omar and his sister Diomedis Campusano Campusano. Laurent is the French Frédéric Bocquet.

In the property allegedly owned by Bocquet, were found 13 long-range rifles, 3 shotguns and 2 machine guns, silencers, telescopic sights, body armor, 5000 rounds of ammunition, grenades, military uniforms and a half kilogram of C4 explosives.

Bouquet was arrested at the airport on the island of Margarita, where he claimed to flee from Venezuela.

http://www.elcaribecdn.com.do/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=207627:apresan-3-dominicanos-con-armas-y-explosivos-en-venezuela&catid=104:nacionales&Itemid=115

[magbana]

4. Inca Kola News: story on the terrorist cell

"Some French dude named Laurent Bocquet (above, from his 'feibu' page, as we say down here) got arrested trying to escape Caracas, Venezuela, and get to Isla Margarita on Friday. He was nabbed along with Omar Campusano, Diomedis Campusano and Edgar Florián Sánchez (all from The Dominican Republic). All four are supposedly members of the criminal gang known as "The Internationals" (oh how subtle). So when police checked out the arrested Frenchie's house in Caracas they found:

* half a kilo of C4 explosive
* flame throwers
* 5,000 (yeah, five thousand) shotgun cartridges
* bullet-proof vests
* military uniforms
* foreign licence plates
* 3 FAL weapons
* 2 machine guns
* 3 shotguns
* telescopic sights
* etc etc


Expect Venezuelan police to be called human rights offenders for daring to arrest foreign nationals like this on their soil. I mean, the impertinence...what's half a kilo of C4 between friends anyway?

UPDATE: Venezuela's Interior Minister has given a presser this afternoon to name the group as a "terrorist organization". Minister Tareck Al Aissami also said that Bocquet is known as an expert in military matters and a sharpshooter/sniper who saw action in Europe (the exact country wasn't mentioned). Here's a quote from Al Aissami:

"We can testify that the type of armaments used by these military terrorist organizations are for actions of destabilization. With this find we have no doubt in telling the country that we have dealt a severe blow to terrorism and to those groups that try to drag Venezuela into scenes of blood and confrontation."

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Labels: c4, Diomedis Campusano, dominican republic, Edgar Florián Sánchez, french, Laurent Bocquet, Omar Campusano, sniper, terrorism, terrorist, Venezuela
1 comments:

Bina said...

Action in Europe, you say? Dollars to doughnuts it was some part of the former Yugoslavia! (Perhaps he knew a certain Mr. Rózsa Flores?)
May 9, 2009 10:33 PM

http://incakolanews.blogspot.com/2009/05/half-kilo-of-c4-in-caracas-anyone.html

[Judi Lynn]

5. The flame throwers are a nice touch, aren't they? Good grief.

No doubt Bina's hunch is correct. It would make sense if these mercenary assassins also plied their craft in Yugoslavia.

One of the articles also includes a silencer. They have a well-rounded terrorism package, it seems, down to the foreign license plates.

It's good to see a photo for Laurent Bocquet already at that link.

Thanks.

[magbana]

6. IInca Kola News wants to torture us with two new pics of Laurent . . .

and this being mother's day, I'll say he has a face (AND HEAD) that only a mother could love.

http://www.incakolanews.blogspot.com/

[Judi Lynn]

7. The little bastard does look single-minded. Seeing the large versions of the photos

is just a little too creepy.

Very odd collection of weaponry.

Thanks for the views.