CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan security forces detained a key aide to opposition leader Juan Guaidó in a raid on his home early Thursday, an opposition lawmaker said.

Lawyer Roberto Marrero was taken by intelligence agents in the overnight operation in Caracas, said lawmaker Sergio Vergara, whose nearby residence was also searched. Vergara said he was woken up by heavy banging at his door and agents pointed weapons at him.

Vergara and Marrero both accompanied Guaidó on a recent Latin American tour to build international support for his efforts to oust President Nicolás Maduro. Marrero heads the office of Guaidó, who is leader of Venezuela’s National Assembly,

“We don’t know where he is. He should be freed immediately,” Guaido tweeted.

The U.S.-backed opposition leader, who had defied a travel ban to leave the country, returned to Venezuela on March 4. The United States had warned the Venezuelan government against taking action against Guaidó, who has staged frequent demonstrations in an attempt to remove Maduro.

Venezuelan prosecutors say Guaidó is under investigation for alleged links to violence as well as the nation’s worst power outages. Maduro alleges the blackouts were caused by U.S.-directed sabotage, though U.S. officials and the Venezuelan opposition say state mismanagement and corruption caused the infrastructure collapse.

The U.S. and about 50 other countries support Guaidó’s contention that he is the rightful leader of Venezuela and that Maduro’s re-election last year was illegitimate. Maduro, whose key allies are Russia and Cuba, says Guaidó is a collaborator in a U.S. plot to overthrow his government.</s>CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan security forces detained a key aide to opposition leader Juan Guaidó in a raid on his home early Thursday, an opposition lawmaker said.

Lawyer Roberto Marrero was taken by intelligence agents in the overnight operation in Caracas, said lawmaker Sergio Vergara, whose nearby residence was also searched. Vergara said he was woken up by heavy banging at his door and agents pointed weapons at him.

Vergara and Marrero both accompanied Guaidó on a recent Latin American tour to build international support for his efforts to oust President Nicolás Maduro. Marrero heads the office of Guaidó, who is leader of Venezuela’s National Assembly.

Speaking to reporters in Venezuela Thursday morning, Guaidó described Marrero as a dedicated husband and father, and a tireless attorney working to better the country. He also called Marrero's detention a kidnapping.

"It is ridiculous the tactics they use," Guaidó said. "If this were not tragic, it would be laughable."

He also sent a message to the officers who picked Marrero at his home, saying that Venezuelan military forces should stop protecting President Nicolás Maduro's regime.

"If they don't care that we have no water and they don't care we have no food, they will not protect you," Guaido said. "We want to save the country."

The U.S.-backed opposition leader, who had defied a travel ban to leave the country, returned to Venezuela on March 4. The United States had warned the Venezuelan government against taking action against Guaidó, who has staged frequent demonstrations in an attempt to remove Maduro.

Venezuelan prosecutors say Guaidó is under investigation for alleged links to violence as well as the nation’s worst power outages. Maduro alleges the blackouts were caused by U.S.-directed sabotage, though U.S. officials and the Venezuelan opposition say state mismanagement and corruption caused the infrastructure collapse.

The U.S. and about 50 other countries support Guaidó’s contention that he is the rightful leader of Venezuela and that Maduro’s re-election last year was illegitimate. Maduro, whose key allies are Russia and Cuba, says Guaidó is a collaborator in a U.S. plot to overthrow his government.

Marrero is believed to be at El Helicoide, the same detention facility where other opposition leaders and journalists have been previously held. The facility is run by the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service, also known as the "SEBIN," which is considered Venezuela's premier intelligence agency.</s>The Venezuelan opposition leader, Juan Guaidó, has said intelligence agents arrested his chief of staff after a pre-dawn raid, signalling that President Nicolás Maduro may be cracking down on the opposition’s challenge to his rule.

Guaidó invoked the constitution in January to assume the interim presidency after declaring Maduro’s 2018 re-election a fraud, and he has been recognised by dozens of western nations as the country’s legitimate leader.

Maduro, who has overseen a dramatic collapse of the country’s economy, has called Guaidó a puppet of the United States and said he should “face justice”, but has not explicitly ordered his arrest.

“They have kidnapped @robertomarrero, my chief of staff,” Guaidó tweeted, adding the Caracas residences of Marrero and an opposition legislator, Sergio Vergara, had been raided before dawn. “We do not know his whereabouts. He should be freed immediately.”

Venezuela’s information ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Guaidó travelled around South America in February to drum up diplomatic support for his government, defying a travel ban imposed by the pro-government supreme court. He re-entered the country via Venezuela’s principal airport this month without being detained by immigration officials.

Dozens of countries including the US, major European powers and most South American nations have backed Guaidó and declared Maduro’s rule illegitimate.

Venezuela is reeling from annual inflation topping 2m per cent, which has fuelled malnutrition and preventable disease and spurred an exodus of more than 3 million citizens since 2015.

Maduro has said his government is the victim of an “economic war” led by his political adversaries and has blamed US financial and oil sector sanctions for the country’s situation.</s>CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan security forces detained a key aide to opposition leader Juan Guaidó in a raid on his home early Thursday, an opposition lawmaker said.

Lawyer Roberto Marrero was taken by intelligence agents in the overnight operation in Caracas, said lawmaker Sergio Vergara, whose nearby residence was also searched. Vergara said he was woken up by heavy banging at his door and agents pointed weapons at him.

Vergara and Marrero both accompanied Guaidó on a recent Latin American tour to build international support for his efforts to oust President Nicolás Maduro. Marrero heads the office of Guaidó, who is leader of Venezuela’s National Assembly,

“We don’t know where he is. He should be freed immediately,” Guaido tweeted.

The U.S.-backed opposition leader, who had defied a travel ban to leave the country, returned to Venezuela on March 4. The United States had warned the Venezuelan government against taking action against Guaidó, who has staged frequent demonstrations in an attempt to remove Maduro.

Venezuelan prosecutors say Guaidó is under investigation for alleged links to violence as well as the nation’s worst power outages. Maduro alleges the blackouts were caused by U.S.-directed sabotage, though U.S. officials and the Venezuelan opposition say state mismanagement and corruption caused the infrastructure collapse.

The U.S. and about 50 other countries support Guaidó’s contention that he is the rightful leader of Venezuela and that Maduro’s re-election last year was illegitimate. Maduro, whose key allies are Russia and Cuba, says Guaidó is a collaborator in a U.S. plot to overthrow his government.</s>The chief of staff of opposition leader Juan Guaidó was detained early Thursday by Venezuela's intelligence forces, igniting a new flash point in the U.S.-backed effort to drive President Nicolás Maduro from office.

Guaidó since January has led a growing challenge to Maduro's authority, calling the socialist leader illegitimate and demanding his resignation following elections last year that were widely decried as fraudulent.

Guaidó - who declared himself the nation's rightful interim president - was briefly detained early on in the effort. But thus far, the government - facing stern warnings from Washington - has exercised relative restraint in dealing with the Guaidó's inner circle.

Now, the detention Thursday could suggest a new crackdown.

The United States quickly condemned the detention of Roberto Marrero, who as taken by Venezuelan forces following a raid on his house that began a 2:20 a.m. The move came after the detention of dozens of journalists. Though many have been quickly released, at least one remains in jail.

The government has also arrested two workers from the state utility who publicly denounced the poor state of the power grid that led to massive, nationwide blackouts this month.

"The United States condemns raids by Maduro's security services and detention of Roberto Marrero, Chief of Staff to Interim President @jguaido. We call for his immediate release. We will hold accountable those involved," tweeted Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

In a tweet, Guaidó - who has been recognized as interim president by dozens of countries, including the United States, on grounds that last year's elections were rigged - said the house of opposition official Sergio Vergara was also raided. Guaidó said that Vergara was immediately set free but claimed that intelligence forces - known as the SEBIN - had planted weapons including grenades at Marrero's home.

"His whereabouts are unknown," Guaidó tweeted. "He should be freed immediately,"

In a video posted to twitter, Vergara said the security forces - 15 armed men wearing caps - entered his home and pushed his head onto the floor as they searched his apartment.

"They asked me if I knew where Roberto Marrero lived, which I didn't respond to," he said a video statement posted on Twitter.

A voice message sent by Marrero as the raid on his house was underway circulated on social media. "In this moment, the SEBIN are in my house," he said. "They sadly came for me. Keep fighting. Don't stop. Please take care of the president. And let it be what God wants. God bless you. The Venezuelan people should not stop because of this. We have to understand that the one who gets tired loses."

In addition to serving as Guaidó's chief of staff, Marrero was the longtime lawyer of opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, Guaidó's mentor who was arrested in 2014 and remains under house arrest.

Marrero's detention comes as the Venezuelan opposition is seeking to regain momentum amid a strong new push since January to force Maduro from office. Last month, Guaidó orchestrated an effort to bring in humanitarian aid - largely from the United States - that was blockaded by Maduro. The measure succeeded in focusing international attention on the plight of Venezuelans living in a collapsed nation, where failing power grids have caused massive blackouts and the broken economy has left millions facing shortages of food and medicine.

Guaidó has also won international backing by dozens of countries, and left Maduro increasingly isolated. After a break in diplomatic relations, the United States pulled the last of its diplomats from Caracas earlier this month.

This story was first published in The Washington Post.</s>The chief of staff of opposition leader Juan Guaidó was detained early Thursday by Venezuela’s intelligence forces, igniting a new flash point in the U.S.-backed effort to drive President Nicolás Maduro from office.

Guaidó since January has led a growing challenge to Maduro’s authority, calling the socialist leader illegitimate and demanding his resignation following elections last year that were widely decried as fraudulent. Guaidó — who declared himself the nation’s rightful interim president — was briefly detained early on in the effort. But thus far, the government — facing stern warnings from Washington — has exercised relative restraint in dealing with the Guaidó’s inner circle.

Now, the detention Thursday could suggest a new crackdown. The United States quickly condemned the detention of Roberto Marrero, who as taken by Venezuelan forces following a raid on his house that began a 2:20 a.m. The move came after the detention of dozens of journalists. Though many have been quickly released, at least one remains in jail. The government has also arrested two workers from the state utility who publicly denounced the poor state of the power grid that led to massive, nationwide blackouts this month.

“The United States condemns raids by Maduro’s security services and detention of Roberto Marrero, Chief of Staff to Interim President @jguaido. We call for his immediate release. We will hold accountable those involved,” tweeted Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

In a tweet, Guaidó — who has been recognized as interim president by dozens of countries, including the United States, on grounds that last year’s elections were rigged — said the house of opposition official Sergio Vergara was also raided. Guaidó said that Vergara was immediately set free but claimed that intelligence forces — known as the SEBIN — had planted weapons including grenades at Marrero’s home.

“His whereabouts are unknown,” Guaidó tweeted. “He should be freed immediately,”

In a video posted to twitter, Vergara said the security forces — 15 armed men wearing caps — entered his home and pushed his head onto the floor as they searched his apartment.

“They asked me if I knew where Roberto Marrero lived, which I didn’t respond to,” he said a video statement posted on Twitter.

A voice message sent by Marrero as the raid on his house was underway circulated on social media. “In this moment, the SEBIN are in my house,” he said. “They sadly came for me. Keep fighting. Don’t stop. Please take care of the president. And let it be what God wants. God bless you. The Venezuelan people should not stop because of this. We have to understand that the one who gets tired loses.”

In addition to serving as Guaidó’s chief of staff, Marrero was the longtime lawyer of opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, Guaidó’s mentor who was arrested in 2014 and remains under house arrest.

Marrero’s detention comes as the Venezuelan opposition is seeking to regain momentum amid a strong new push since January to force Maduro from office. Last month, Guaidó orchestrated an effort to bring in humanitarian aid — largely from the United States — that was blockaded by Maduro. The measure succeeded in focusing international attention on the plight of Venezuelans living in a collapsed nation, where failing power grids have caused massive blackouts and the broken economy has left millions facing shortages of food and medicine.

Guaidó has also won international backing by dozens of countries, and left Maduro increasingly isolated. After a break in diplomatic relations, the United States pulled the last of its diplomats from Caracas earlier this month.

Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news</s>The Chief of Staff to Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó was kidnapped by intelligence agents during a pre-dawn raid, an indication that the Maduro regime may be preparing to step up their crackdown on leading opposition activists.

In a message posted Thursday morning, Guaidó revealed members of the regime’s intelligence agency SEBIN raided the houses Chief of Staff Roberto Marrero and congressman Sergio Vergara, who is a member of Guaido’s Popular Will party, but only took Marrero away.

“They [the regime] have kidnapped my chief of staff, Robert Marrero,” he wrote on Twitter. “We don’t know where he’s been taken. He needs to be released immediately.”

According to Vergara, Marrero claimed that SEBIN had planted two guns and a grenade in the run-up to the arrest, so they could charge him with holding illegal firearms.

Responding to the arrest, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pledged to hold those responsible “accountable” for the arrest but did not provide further details.

“The United States condemns raids by Maduro’s security services and detention of Roberto Marrero, Chief of Staff to Interim President [Juan Guaidó],” he wrote. “We call for his immediate release. We will hold accountable those involved.”

The arrest now raises concerns about the safety of Guaidó himself, who was appointed as Head of the Venezuelan National Assembly in January and is now recognized by most Western democracies as the country’s legitimate president

Since his appointment, Guaidó has attempted to energize the country’s disunited opposition, encouraging the country’s widespread opposition to engage in acts of civil disobedience, which include supporting efforts to deliver U.S. humanitarian aid from Colombia into and around the country.

Last month, the U.S. warned that it would be a “terrible mistake” to arrest him, as the Trump administration continues to impose economic sanctions on the regime’s financial resources.

“We hold former President Maduro and those surrounding him fully responsible for the safety and welfare of interim president Juan Guaidó and his family,” said State Department spokesman Robert Palladino last week. “It would be a terrible mistake for the illegitimate Maduro regime to arrest Juan Guaidó.”

Follow Ben Kew on Facebook, Twitter at @ben_kew, or email him at bkew@breitbart.com.</s>Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, right, waves to supporters next to his wife Cilia Flores during a rally in Caracas, Venezuela on April 19.,

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido said on Thursday intelligence agents had detained his chief of staff during a pre-dawn raid, putting to the test repeated U.S. warnings that President Nicolas Maduro should not go after his opponents.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in a post on Twitter on Thursday, called for Roberto Marrero's immediate release and said "we will hold accountable those involved."

Guaido invoked the constitution in January to assume the interim presidency after declaring Maduro's 2018 re-election a fraud. He has been recognized by the United States and dozens of other Western nations as the country's legitimate leader.

Maduro, who has overseen a dramatic collapse of the OPEC nation's economy, has called Guaido a puppet of the United States and said he should "face justice," but has not explicitly ordered his arrest.

Top U.S. officials have repeatedly warned Maduro not to touch Guaido and his inner circle and threatened ever harsher sanctions intended to further isolate Maduro and cut off his administration's sources of revenue.

U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton warned Maduro earlier this month that Guaido's safety must be guaranteed and that the world was watching.

"They have kidnapped @Robertomarrero, my chief of staff," Guaido said in a post on Twitter, adding that the Caracas residences of Marrero and opposition legislator Sergio Vergara had been raided before dawn. "We do not know their whereabouts. They should be freed immediately."

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Marrero recorded a voice message as agents from the SEBIN intelligence service were trying to enter his home in Caracas' upscale Las Mercedes neighborhood, which Guaido's press team forwarded to reporters.

"I am in my house and the SEBIN is here. Unfortunately, they have come for me. Keep in the fight, don't stop and look after the president," Marrero said.

Vergara, Marrero's neighbor, said some 40 armed SEBIN agents forced their way into their homes and spent three hours inside.

The SEBIN left with Marrero and Vergara's driver, the legislator said in a video posted on his Twitter account.

Guaido's press team also sent a video showing damage to the door of Marrero's home and its broken lock.

Guaido said that Marrero had told Vergara that agents had planted two rifles and a grenade in his house. Venezuela's Information Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Since January, Venezuelan authorities have arrested over 1,000 people in connection with anti-government demonstrations, rights groups say.

U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said on Wednesday that Venezuelan security forces, backed by pro-government militias, have quashed peaceful protests with the excessive use of force, killings and torture.

Maduro says his government is the victim of an "economic war" led by his political adversaries and blames U.S. financial and oil sector sanctions for the country's situation.

With Washington already having imposed extensive sanctions on Caracas, the humanitarian and political costs of further blanket measures could be high, with millions of Venezuelans already suffering shortages of food and medicine.

Venezuela is reeling from annual inflation topping 2 million percent, which has fueled malnutrition and preventable disease and spurred an exodus of more than 3 million citizens in since 2015.

While President Donald Trump has said all options remain open, there appears to be little support in Washington or regional Latin American capitals for any military intervention.

"The United States condemns raids by Maduro's security services and detention of Roberto Marrero," Pompeo said on Twitter, noting those responsible would be held to account.

Guaido had traveled around South America in February to drum up diplomatic support for his government, defying a travel ban imposed by the pro-government Supreme Court.

He later entered the country via Venezuela's principal airport without being detained by immigration officials.

Venezuela's chief state prosecutor, Tarek Saab, last week asked the Supreme Court to open an investigation into Guaido for alleged involvement in the "sabotage" of the country's electrical network, after the longest nationwide power blackout in decades.

The opposition, along with electrical experts, said the power outage was due to the government's incompetence and years of little maintenance.</s>CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan security forces detained a key aide to opposition leader Juan Guaidó in a raid on his home early Thursday, an opposition lawmaker said.

Lawyer Roberto Marrero was taken by intelligence agents in the overnight operation in Caracas, said lawmaker Sergio Vergara, whose nearby residence was also searched. Vergara said he was woken up by heavy banging at his door and agents pointed weapons at him.

Vergara and Marrero both accompanied Guaidó on a recent Latin American tour to build international support for his efforts to oust President Nicolás Maduro. Marrero heads the office of Guaidó, who is leader of Venezuela’s National Assembly.

Speaking to reporters in Venezuela Thursday morning, Guaidó described Marrero as a dedicated husband and father, and a tireless attorney working to better the country. He also called Marrero's detention a kidnapping.

"It is ridiculous the tactics they use," Guaidó said. "If this were not tragic, it would be laughable."

He also sent a message to the officers who picked Marrero at his home, saying that Venezuelan military forces should stop protecting President Nicolás Maduro's regime.

"If they don't care that we have no water and they don't care we have no food, they will not protect you," Guaido said. "We want to save the country."

The U.S.-backed opposition leader, who had defied a travel ban to leave the country, returned to Venezuela on March 4. The United States had warned the Venezuelan government against taking action against Guaidó, who has staged frequent demonstrations in an attempt to remove Maduro.

Venezuelan prosecutors say Guaidó is under investigation for alleged links to violence as well as the nation’s worst power outages. Maduro alleges the blackouts were caused by U.S.-directed sabotage, though U.S. officials and the Venezuelan opposition say state mismanagement and corruption caused the infrastructure collapse.

The U.S. and about 50 other countries support Guaidó’s contention that he is the rightful leader of Venezuela and that Maduro’s re-election last year was illegitimate. Maduro, whose key allies are Russia and Cuba, says Guaidó is a collaborator in a U.S. plot to overthrow his government.

Marrero is believed to be at El Helicoide, the same detention facility where other opposition leaders and journalists have been previously held. The facility is run by the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service, also known as the "SEBIN," which is considered Venezuela's premier intelligence agency.</s>Esta madrugada el régimen usurpador allanó ilegalmente mi residencia y la de @ROBERTOMARRERO, jefe de despacho del Presidente @jguaido, LO SECUESTRARON y le sembraron armas.

La lucha por la mejor Venezuela continua. Este nuevo atropello nos da la fuerza para seguir adelante. pic.twitter.com/Y7XRAcwVlT

— SERGIO VERGARA G. (@SergioVergaraG) 21 de marzo de 2019
Venezuela's intelligence unit, the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN), detains attorney Roberto Marrero, Juan Guaidó's chief of staff. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio says this is "a significant escalation of repression and could signal the beginning of efforts to arrest Guaidó himself".