Attack on Fort Paramacay

{{Infobox military conflict

| civil =

| title = Attack on Fort Paramacay

| partof = Crisis in Venezuela (2010–present)

| image = 2017_Venezuela_Paramacay_base_attack.png

| caption = Soldiers detain the occupants of a vehicle after the assault.

| date = 6 August 2017

| place = Naguanagua, Carabobo, {{flag|Venezuela}}

| result = Rebel attack repelled by government forces; some weapons captured by the opposition.

| cause = Crisis institucional de Venezuela; Instauración de la Asamblea Constituyente

| consequences = Sustracción del Parque de Armas; Varios disidentes capturados y muertos días después{{cita noticia|título=Padrino López dice que capturaron al ex-capitán Caguaripano: el “autor” del robo de armas del Fuerte Paramacay|url=https://www.lapatilla.com/site/2017/08/11/padrino-lopez-dice-que-capturaron-al-ex-capitan-caguaripano-el-autor-del-robo-de-armas-del-fuerte-paramacay/|fechaacceso=12 de agosto de 2017|obra=La Patilla|fecha=11 de agosto de 2017}}

| combatant2 = 20px Opposition military personnel

:20px Military dissidents

Supported by

20px Civilian opposition

| combatant1 = {{flag|Venezuela}} Bolivarian government

| commander2 = 20px Juan Caguaripano (Commander)

| commander1 = 20px Vladimir Padrino López (Commander-in-chief)

| strength2 = 20 dissidents

| strength1 = approx. 900 soldiers of the 41st Command Brigade

| casualties1 = Unknown

| casualties2 = 2 dead
1 injured
7 captured

| nº soldados2 =

| nº soldados1 =

| campaña =

| conflict =

}}

The attack on Fort Paramacay (code name Operation David),{{cite web|url=http://www.el-nacional.com/noticias/politica/efe-las-voces-encapuchadas-armadas-ganan-terreno-venezuela_198162|title=Las voces encapuchadas ganan terreno en Venezuela|website=El Nacional|access-date=2018-08-18|archive-date=2017-08-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170811144759/http://www.el-nacional.com/noticias/politica/efe-las-voces-encapuchadas-armadas-ganan-terreno-venezuela_198162|url-status=dead}} was a military assault carried out in the morning of Sunday, August 6, 2017, between 3:50 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. in the Venezuelan town of Naguanagua, Carabobo.

Attack

File:Mapanagua.jpg

The assault began when a group of 20 civilian dissidents commanded by Juan Caguaripano, a former captain (deserter since 2014) of the National Guard, stormed the Fort to steal weapons.{{cite news|url=https://elpais.com/internacional/2017/08/06/actualidad/1502021451_665310.html|title=El caos se apodera de Venezuela en medio de rumores de golpe.|website=El País|date=7 August 2017 |last1=Meza |first1=Alfredo }} First Lieutenant Jefferson García, of the plaza 4101 Commando Company, was the officer in charge of the Fort's weapons store; the 41st brigade of the Bolivarian Army was based at the Fort.{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-40844011|title=Lo que se sabe del "ataque terrorista paramilitar" contra una base del Ejército en Venezuela.|website=BBC|date=6 August 2017 }} Troops loyal to the government stopped the attack, causing ten of the dissidents (including Caguaripano) to flee, with seven of the group arrested, two dead, and one injured.{{cite web|url=http://www.panorama.com.ve/politicayeconomia/Maduro-Dos-atacantes-muertos-y-un-herido-dejo-asalto-al-Fuerte-Paramacay-20170806-0031.html|title=Maduro: Dos atacantes muertos y un herido dejó asalto al Fuerte Paramacay|website=Panorama|access-date=2018-08-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807020343/http://www.panorama.com.ve/politicayeconomia/Maduro-Dos-atacantes-muertos-y-un-herido-dejo-asalto-al-Fuerte-Paramacay-20170806-0031.html|archive-date=2017-08-07|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.el-nacional.com/noticias/politica/reportan-dos-fallecidos-tras-ataque-fuerte-paramacay_197406|title= Reportan dos fallecidos tras ataque al Fuerte Paramacay|website=El Nacional}} The attackers who escaped had managed to take a considerable amount of munitions, including grenades and bullets. Though the attack ended at 8:00 am, civilians were protesting in the streets of the city later that day in support of the dissidents, which caused several clashes between them and the National Guard.{{cite web|url=http://www.el-nacional.com/noticias/sucesos/asi-gnb-destrozo-automoviles-naguanagua_197414|title=La Guardia Nacional hizo estragos en Naguanagua|website=El Nacional}}{{cite web|url=http://www.notitarde.com/Terroristas-intentaron-asaltar-El-Fuerte-Paramacay/Pais/2017/08/06/1069799/|title=Terroristas intentaron asaltar El Fuerte Paramacay|website=NotiTarde|access-date=2018-08-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011053657/http://www.notitarde.com/Terroristas-intentaron-asaltar-El-Fuerte-Paramacay/Pais/2017/08/06/1069799/|archive-date=2017-10-11|url-status = dead}}

Stolen armaments

During the attack, the dissidents stole 500 AK-103 rifles and 500 magazines, 50 40mm multiple grenade launchers and 140 40mm grenades, 80 bayonets, 60 pistols and magazines. The weapons were placed in a Toyota vehicle with military plates and removed from Fort Paramacay.{{cite web|url=http://elestimulo.com/blog/asi-ocurrio-la-toma-del-fuerte-paramacay/|title=Así ocurrió la toma del Fuerte Paramacay|website=El Estímulo|date=8 August 2017 }}

Capture

Some of the members and leaders of the attack were captured in the following days. Two of the dissidents were reported by the government to have been killed during the assault: Yhonny Emisael Martínez Cedeño and Orlando Segundo Landino.

On January 15, 2018, after the El Junquito raid, where the dissident Óscar Alberto Pérez was killed, some of those who had been involved in this assault were also killed, and the owner of the truck with the stolen weaponry was captured.{{cite web|url=http://efectococuyo.com/politica/doce-claves-asi-explico-reverol-el-asedio-y-muerte-de-oscar-perez|title=Doce claves así explicó Reverol el asedio y muerte de Óscar Pérez|website=Efecto Cocuyo|access-date=2018-08-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180118185058/http://efectococuyo.com/politica/doce-claves-asi-explico-reverol-el-asedio-y-muerte-de-oscar-perez|archive-date=2018-01-18|url-status=dead}}