DORAL, Fla. – Amid political unrest, Venezuelan authorities detained a Doral businessman Monday morning after accusing him of plotting terrorist acts.
About 4 a.m., Venezuelan police arrested Jayssam Mokded Mokded in Maracay, Venezuelan politician Tareck El Aissami, tweeted Monday. Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro referred to Mokded as a "mercenary."
The announcement comes after Venezuelan officials announced about 529 people were arrested, 150 injured and 13 have died since protests demanding that Hugo Chavez's protégé resign began Feb. 12.
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El Aissami said Mokded was detained along with two others who had military experience and were traveling in an armored Toyota Model FJ. There was "conclusive evidence" that Mokded was assisting in organizing "terrorist acts," the governor of the state of Aragua tweeted.
According to the politician Mokded had been staying in Maracay since Feb. 9. In the hotel room where Mokded was allegedly staying, police found communication equipment and documents linking him to a companies in Miami.
Florida records show Mokded is president of CJ International Services, 10580 NW 27th St., in Doral. He is also the president of Soloblackberry.net.inc with offices in Doral and Porlamar, Venezuela.
According to El Aissami, also in his possession was an explosive artifact, gun powder, logistics for a shelter used during protests, vinegar, food and documents that showed "hundreds of thousands of dollars had been transferred to the U.S. and other destinations."
On Saturday, thousands met at J.C. Bermudez Park in Doral to show solidarity to protesters in Venezuela. Miami's Doral area is known as "Doralzuela" for its anti-Chavez Venezuelan migrant population.
Maduro assumed the presidency after Chavez died March 5, 2013. Elections are not set until 2018.
Some of Venezuelan politician Tareck El Aissami's tweets Monday:
- We found the bedroom where Jayssam Mokded was staying and found several communication equipments and logistics (food and vinager)
- Jayssam Mokded was detained in Maracay at 4 a.m. in company of two more people, who had military experience
- Within the material seized Jayssam Mokded there were documents that linked him to a company in Miami
- The vehicle seized from Jayssam Mokded is a Toyota Model FJ (armored). He had an explosive artifact, gun powder, and logistics for "guarimbas"
Note: A guarimba in Venezuela is a shelter used during protests.
- There were also seized documents from Jayssam Mokded that showed hundreds of thousands of dollars transferred to several destinations in the U.S.
-Jayssam Mokded also had an armored vehicle, 13 electronic equipments and communications meant for the U.S. and Colombia.
- Jayssam Mokded was found in a hotel north of Maracay since Feb. 9. His banking accounts are impressive.
- We have detained in Maracay a citizen named Jayssam Mokded Mokded with conclusive evidence to perpetrate terrorist acts.