State Dept.: Venezuela holding American

Venezuelan officials confirmed a U.S. citizen is in custody but hasn't been granted access to the man, the U.S. State Department said. Venezuelan officials "did not follow usual channels and notify our embassy in [the] capital, nor have they responded to our requests for consular access to him," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Tuesday during a news briefing. "So we are continuing to ask them first, to communicate directly with our embassy in Caracas, which is the standard diplomatic practice, and second, to grant us consular access." Chavez announced the arrest during a campaign speech last week, saying the arrest indicates Venezuelans must "activate our alarms much more" against foreign interference as the country's Oct. 7 elections loom, The Wall Street Journal said. Chavez said the man was detained a week ago as he entered Venezuela from Colombia. Venezuelan officials said the man was acting suspiciously when apprehended, alleging he was trying to destroy a notebook that contained coordinates. Passport stamps indicating the man had traveled to Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Jordan, Colombia and Britain in recent years also raised police suspicions, Chavez said.