U.S. works to defuse spat with Venezuela

CARACAS, Venezuela --Washington formally protested Friday against Venezuela's seizure of cargo from a U.S. Embassy convoy while Venezuela defended the action, alleging it was an incident of smuggling that flagrantly violated diplomatic protocol.

Venezuelan National Guard stopped trucks carrying cargo from a U.S. military aircraft to the American embassy on Wednesday and seized 20 pieces.

The State Department lodged a formal complaint with Venezuela over the seizure, saying it violated international diplomatic laws.

"We have requested an explanation for the entire incident," said department press officer Gonzalo Gallegos.

U.S. officials have said the shipment contained household goods for a newly arrived embassy employee that were initially cleared by airport authorities.

They said the aircraft also delivered replacement ejection seat parts for Venezuelan combat planes, but insisted it carried no weapons.

The U.S. government banned arms sales to Venezuela in May, accusing Caracas of failing to cooperate in counterterrorism efforts. But it said it would honor existing contracts.

Venezuelan Justice Minister Jesse Chacon said Friday that the troops did not violate international diplomatic conventions when they stopped the trucks carrying the cargo.

He also backed earlier accusations that U.S. officials may have smuggled military equipment into the country.

"It's not the Venezuelan government that is violating (diplomatic conventions), it's the U.S. embassy that's violating them," Chacon told a news conference Friday evening.

The dispute is the latest between Washington and Venezuela's leftist government. President Hugo Chavez, who accuses the United States of conspiring to overthrow him, expelled a naval attache at the U.S. Embassy in February and said last week that four people had been caught spying for the U.S. government.

The U.S. government denies plotting to oust Chavez, but says he represents a threat to stability in Latin America.

Chacon alleged that a large part of Wednesday's shipment entered the country illegally without passing controls, while the military equipment -- including the ejector seat parts -- was never received by Venezuela's air force.

Chacon said 20 pieces were seized from the trucks of which "only four could be considered ... tax-exempt or embassy official belongings" subject to diplomatic conventions. The remaining 16 cargo items "are contraband" and included 176 pounds of chicken that never passed health inspection, he said.

Chacon said U.S. shipping documents allegedly sent to the Venezuelan air force declared that the plane was also transporting cartridge devices, detonator fuses, rocket motors and pliers -- none of which had been ordered by the Venezuelan military.

"The only thing that the Armed Forces have requested are the (ejection seat) propulsion motors for the OV10 Bronco planes," Chacon said.

"As of today, the Venezuelan air force has not received from any U.S. official any part."

Venezuelan Attorney General Isaias Rodriguez on Thursday alleged that the seized material contained supplies for the Venezuelan military and threatened to launch an investigation against U.S. officials for evading regulations and checkpoints.