The Sebin intelligence agency, controlled by embattled socialist President Nicolas Maduro, had detailed its evidence against Marrero in two reports that agents said they had compiled six days earlier, on March 15, the court records show. The reports accused Marrero of smuggling guns and explosives from Colombia and posting social media messages that prosecutors would later call treason.

But the reports contradict themselves in ways that suggest the social media evidence was cobbled together only after the raid — not six days before, as the agents and prosecutors attested in court records. And a judge granted the warrant to search for weapons based on the word of a single Sebin agent who never detailed any evidence of smuggling in the warrant application reviewed by Reuters.

One Sebin report includes a screen shot of a Google search on the terms “Roberto Marrero Instagram” that agents said was made at 8:37 a.m. on March 15 – but was in fact conducted at least six days later, as evidenced by the three news stories included in the search results that reported the agents’ March 21 raid of Marrero’s home.

…Marrero, 49, remains detained at the Sebin’s Caracas headquarters awaiting a preliminary hearing, his lawyer said. Prosecutors have charged him with treason, conspiracy, and concealing arms and explosives. A conviction could mean up to 30 years in prison.

…The Maduro government followed Marrero’s arrest by detaining more than a dozen other Guaidó supporters.

On May 8, the Sebin arrested Guaidó’s deputy in the National Assembly, Edgar Zambrano, by using a tow truck to drag him to a detention center while inside his vehicle. The Supreme Court has accused Zambrano and 13 other opposition lawmakers of crimes including treason and conspiracy, prompting most to flee abroad or take refuge in friendly foreign embassies in Caracas.

A lawyer for Zambrano denied he committed a crime and said his detention violates his parliamentary immunity.

…Three of the six Marrero posts cited by intelligence agents were reposts of Guaidó comments, including one from Feb. 16 urging soldiers to ignore Maduro’s orders to block aid shipments: “To every member of the Armed Forces, we say it’s in your hands to fight together with the people, who suffer the same hardship as you.”

Contradictory evidence casts doubt on case against jailed Venezuela opposition official

hmmm