The State Department has ordered non-essential diplomats and staff at the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela to leave the country. Some U.S. diplomats in Venezuela headed for the Caracas airport on Jan. 25.
A letter by a U.S. Embassy security officer requesting a police escort for a caravan of 10 vehicles was leaked earlier in the day and published on social media by a journalist for state-owned TV network Telesur. Its authenticity was confirmed by a U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security arrangements.
