Posted on 01/26/2006 7:13:46 PM PST by Tyche
CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) - Venezuela's government is investigating members of the armed forces for allegedly passing on state secrets to the US military, officials said yesterday.
The probe comes as state-run media reports claimed the US embassy in Caracas was also involved in the affair. "Some low-level officials were sending information to the Pentagon," Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel told the Ultimas Noticias daily. El Universal newspaper quoted Rangel as saying the suspects transmitted "state secrets".
The vice-president said the suspects included both active and retired members of the Venezuelan navy.
Media reports said some of the officials involved had sought to evade the authorities, and that others were told to remain in their barracks pending completion of the probe.
The state-run regional Telesur television network claimed US naval attache John Correa had bribed the suspects, and armed forces Inspector General Melvin Lopez Hidalgo also tied US diplomatic staff to the probe.
"We have found elements that link in some manner officials of the US embassy who made contacts to seek information from members of the armed forces," he told Union radio. The US embassy declined to comment on the allegations.
"It is the policy of our government in Washington not to comment on such issues," a spokesman said.
Local media said 25 people were under investigation and that a relative of one of them was arrested, while military authorities on Sunday apparently searched the residences of several of the suspects.
these = this
That would be the former tack, as opposed to the latter.
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