U.S. Reps Seek Investigation of Venezuelan Consulate General

Three U.S. House members from South Florida and another from New Jersey want U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to investigate the consulate general of Venezuela in Miami regarding a cyber attack.

Reps. David Rivera, R-Miami, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami, Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Miami, and Congressman Albio Sires, D-N.J., want Clinton to review the actions of Livia Antonieta Acosta Noguera.

It has recently come to our attention that Ms. Antonieta, assigned to the Venezuelan consul in Miami since March 2011, has been linked to a potential cyber attack on the United States involving affiliates of the Iranian, Cuban, and Venezuelan regimes, the four wrote Monday.

Rivera noted that Antonieta was featured in the Univision Network documentary, La Amenaza Iran("The Iranian Threat") that claims while she served as the vice secretary at the Venezuelan embassy in Mexico in 2008, she interacted with members from the Iranian and Cuban embassies and students posing as extremists from the Universidad Automa of Mexico to coordinate a cyber attack against the U.S. government and critical infrastructure systems at the White House, FBI and CIA.

If true, these actions demonstrate Livia Antonietas willingness to undermine U.S. interests, and the potential threat to our national security posed by Livia Antonietas activities. With this in mind, we respectfully request the Department of State to investigate these allegations, and if found true, declare her a persona non grata and require her immediate departure from the United States, the letter stated.