Redacción: La Tabla/Plataforma de Periodismo de Datos 10 AUGUST 2025
The 54,000 hollow charges confiscated yesterday in Maturín (Monagas) are identical to those used by the ISIS group during the Syrian war, according to a documentary finding from La Tabla / Platform of Data Journalism.
There is also a complete match regarding the manufacturer, which is the Argentine company Explosivos Tecnológicos Argentinos, S.A. (ETASA). Although the official spokesperson, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, did not identify the manufacturer, the ETASA logo was visible in some of the images broadcasted.
Cabello linked the seized material to a conspiratorial plan for terrorist actions by sectors of the Venezuelan opposition.
🔍 Political Context of the Finding
Diosdado Cabello presented the confiscation in a press conference from the Industrial Zone of Maturín. Accompanied by security forces, he claimed that the explosives were part of a “criminal alliance” between opposition groups, drug traffickers, and “U.S. imperialism.” He directly pointed at opposition leader María Corina Machado and assured that the material was intended for:
1. Attacks against civilians: He related the seizure to a foiled plan on July 27 to detonate a bomb in Plaza Venezuela (Caracas), a major transit area.
2. Destabilization of the state: “None of this happens spontaneously; it’s all coordinated by the U.S. to harm Venezuela,” he stated.
So far, eight people have been detained and 12 more are being sought in connection with the case.
⚙️ Technical Similarities with the Syrian Case
Although Cabello did not identify the manufacturer, the packaging clearly displays the ETASA logo, an Argentine company specializing in explosives for oil drilling. The seized models (TCP HDX 4 inches) are identical to those found in 2017 in ISIS arsenals in Mayadin (Syria):
– Same destructive principle: All use conical cavities that, upon detonation, concentrate energy into a stream of molten metal (Munroe effect). This allows them to penetrate oil wells… or tank armor.
– Documented military reconversion: In Syria, ISIS adapted these charges as anti-tank warheads for homemade rockets. In Venezuela, Cabello showed how the seized electric detonators could be activated by cellphone.
💣 Anomalous Volume: Industrial Use or Insurgency?
The confiscation included 1,137 boxes (54,000 units), equivalent to the consumption of five years at the Vaca Muerta field (Argentina). This data comes from a study by geologist Ricardo Lupo cited in various media outlets.
The amount found in Maturín suggests a military, not industrial, destination:
– Insurgent logic: Armed groups without access to stable ammunition flows often store large quantities of explosives.
– Contrast with civil use: Oil companies receive supplies gradually according to their projects, not in bulk.
🌎 Global Pattern of Double Use
The cases of Venezuela and Syria expose how industrial materials are diverted to conflicts:
1. Syria (2017): ETA S.A. charges exported “legally” to a Syrian oil company were captured by ISIS after invading fields.
2. Venezuela (2025): The 54,000 units exceed any local oil needs. PDVSA operates at only 20% of capacity, and Monagas suffers chronic blackouts due to energy collapse.
⚠️ Conclusion: A Deep-Rooted Risk
The finding confirms that civilian explosives like those from ETA S.A. are dual-use weapons: their design facilitates military reconversion without complex modifications. Despite Argentina insisting on their “peaceful purposes,” the scale of the Venezuelan confiscation — and its parallel with Syria — demands stricter international controls on the export of sensitive materials.
🔍 Final Key: As Cabello warned: “These devices are pure gold for a terrorist.”