Relatives of ex-Marine John Matthew Heath warn that he made an attempt on his life in prison

Relatives ask for full freedom for those involved in the case of the “American spy”

This November 15, a new trial hearing is scheduled for the eight involved in the case of the “American spy” Matthew Heath, accused of alleged sabotage of the oil industry and released as part of an exchange process for the nephews of the first lady Cilia Flores. In the case of Guillermo Zárraga, his relatives assure that he is imprisoned “just for having a photo with Juan Guaidó at an event with oil workers.” In the judicial file there is a section where they mention his closeness to the politician

The relatives of those involved in the case of the American Matthew Heath, accused of being a “spy” by the administration of Nicolás Maduro, request his full release because “there is no evidence that involves each of the accused.”

Diego Zarragason of the former oil worker Guillermo Zárraga, explains that they started the campaign to demand the full freedom of all those involved, because Heath was released under a substitute figure of freedom and immediately transferred to the United States on October 1, as part of of an exchange process for the nephews of the first lady Cilia Flores.

Three people were arrested on September 9, 2020 along with Matthew Heath because they were traveling in the same vehicle: The driver Daeven Rodríguez, the sergeant of the National Guard Darwin Urdaneta and the student Marco Antonio Garcés, who was traveling to Valencia.

According to statements by the prosecutor imposed by the extinct constituent assembly on September 14 of that year, Tarek William Saab, were arrested on 9/11. A day later, the rest of those allegedly involved were arrested: Ivonne Barrios, Rodríguez’s wife and owner of the vehicle in which the transfer was made; in addition to Andry Finol, Asterio González and Leovardo Primero, who are part of the “logistics”.

All were charged for the alleged crimes of treason, terrorism, illicit arms trafficking and criminal association for “sabotage of the oil industry.” The trial began on June 17, 2021, nine months after Heath and the rest were arrested. 10 hearings were held, but the process was suspended on October 26 of that year due to non-compliance with the transfer slips.

The judge of the Eighth Trial Court with competence in Terrorism, Ignacio Vera, decided to start again on November 16, 2021. After almost eight months of trial, the case was interrupted a month ago due to the judge’s medical rest and is set again for this November 15.

«The main negotiation that must be on the table is the release of all political prisoners, not just my father. This is a fundamental basis if they really want to advance on issues of democracy and negotiation,” says Diego Zárraga.

In the case of his father, Zárraga assures that he is imprisoned “just for having a photo with Juan Guaidó at an event with oil workers.” In the court file there is a section where they mention his closeness to the politician.

“They also linked it to an explosion in Amuay two years ago that according to Tareck El Aissami was the product of a missile, but my father appeared in a video explaining that it was due to an implosion that caused structural damage to that plant. That was an additional reason to arrest him and include him in the case of the gringo spy“he points out.

Matthew Heath’s relatives have also requested the release of the detained Venezuelans. Trudy Rutherford, the American’s aunt, has campaigned on Twitter for the rest to be released.

Who are those involved in the case of the “American spy”?

  • Ivonne Barrios is the wife of Daeven Rodríguez. On September 12, 2020, she was at her home, located in Los Puertos de Altagracia, Zulia state, when officials from the Special Actions Force (FAES) and the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (Dgcim) entered her home and They stopped with other people. They were transferred to the FAES headquarters located in the Manzanillo sector of Maracaibo. Two days later, the Control Court of Cabimas was presented, which declined jurisdiction to a terrorism court in Caracas. He waited five months for the preliminary hearing, which was held on February 21, 2021.

“We don’t know where that gringo came from. Ivonne’s husband has a taxi line, they asked him to take a man from Maracaibo to Punto Fijo and he accepted. He didn’t even know who that man was, nobody knew him,” says Kenny Barrios, Ivonne’s brother. Due to this transfer, Ivonne was linked to the alleged spy, because she owned the vehicle where her husband and Matthew Heath were traveling.

She was confined in the Dgcim Boleíta and was later transferred to the National Institute for Women’s Orientation (INOF), located in Los Teques.

  • Guillermo Zárraga, gas engineer and oil trade unionist. He was arrested on September 11 by Sebin and released. Three days later he was again arrested by the Dgcim and implicated in the case of the “American spy.” He was missing for 10 days until he was brought before the courts in Caracas on November 24. He is confined in Yare II and suffers from prostate problems.
  • Leovardo Primera worked as a driver and was arrested on September 12, 2020 at his home in Quisiro, a rural area of ​​Zulia state. Prosecutor Saab accuses him of being part of the “logistics”. They took his truck and he’s not in the file now. He is hypertensive and has not received adequate medical attention. He is being held at El Rodeo III.
  • Asterio González is identified as the alleged recipient of a call from a citizen named “Juan” from Colombia, requesting information and help for the transfer of a US citizen to Punto Fijo. He is being held on Yare II.
  • Daeven Rodríguez is a taxi driver and was arrested on September 9, 2020 at the Los Pedros tollbooth, in Falcón state, when he worked transporting Matthew Heath, the Third Sergeant Major (GNB) Darwin Urdaneta and Marco Antonio Garcés. According to the prosecutor appointed by the late constituent assembly, Tarek William Saab, they had a grenade launcher, a submachine gun, and C4 explosives, with which they “planned to attack the oil industry and the Venezuelan electrical system.” He is currently being held in the Yare II jail.
  • Darwin Urdaneta, Third Division sergeant, was arrested in the same car as Matthew Heath and was linked to the American. He is currently being held at Yare II. On February 26, 2021, his relatives reported to the Fundamental Rights Prosecutor’s Office that he had been subjected to various tortures, like the rest of the detainees in those days.
  • Andry Finol, detained in Los Puertos de Altagracia, Zulia state, on September 12, 2020. Prosecutor Tarek William Saab only said that he is part of “the logistics team for the irregular entry and transfer of the US agent in the country.” He is being held at Yare II
  • Marco Antonio Garcés, Production Engineering student at Unitec. He was traveling from Maracaibo to Valencia in the same car as Heath and Sergeant Urdaneta.

His parents have denounced that both the young man and the rest of the group, including Ivonne Barrios, were repeatedly tortured in a Dgcim clandestine house. “Handcuffed with their arms behind them, they kneeled them and hit them on the head and spine, they placed pistols on their heads, they tied them to a fence where the blows continued and they were thrown cold water,” reported in July of this year his mother Yurayma Carapaica.

He is being held in El Rodeo II, before he was detained in Yare II. He has lost around 20 kilos of weight and his parents, who are pensioners, are charged in dollars to be able to give him water, food and even for the place where he sleeps.

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