Antonio Ledezma, opposition mayor of Caracas, Venezuela, was arrested by the Venezuelan government Thursday night on charges of participating in the alleged coup to overthrow the chavista government of Venezuelan President Nicoals Maduro. The opposition has rallied behind Ledezma, while President Maduro continues to claim the U.S. conspired with the opposition, which the U.S. denies.

Venezuelan security forces belonging to Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) arrested Ledezma, 59, at this office in the Caracas business district, according to Reuters. The Venezuelan government accuses the opposition leader of being part of the foiled coup to overthrown President Maduro.

Witnesses at the scene said the officers broke down doors and shot into the air when they arrested Ledezma. Opposition legislator Ismael Garcia said on Twitter the SEBIN officers did not have an arrest warrant and treated Ledezma "like a dog" in Spanish, as translated by Reuters.

Colombian news station NTN24 uploaded a video of what appears to be the SEBIN raid on Ledezma’s offices taken by a witness. Other outlets have not confirmed the video’s authenticity.

President Maduro later gave a speech at the presidential palace in front of supporters in which he claimed Ledezma participated in the plot to overthrow him. The coup involved air force officers and opposition leaders as well as the U.S. government, according to President Maduro.

In his speech, which was uploaded to YouTube, President Maduro denounced Ledezma.

“Mr. Ledezma, Antonio Ledezma, today by order of state prosecutors was captured and will be processed by the Venezuelan justice system for crimes committed against the peace of the country, security and the constitution,” President Maduro said in front of cheering crowds.

Taking to her husband’s Twitter account, Mitzy, Ledezma’s wife, claimed the officers beat her husband.

“I make Maduro responsible for the life of my husband,” she said.

She continued updating through Twitter, writing she did not know where her husband had been taken to initially. However, she later explained she had seen her husband at the Helicoide, the SEBIN headquarters.

“This morning I finally saw my husband at the Helicoide,” she said. “He is calm and full of courage.”

In one of her latest Tweets, she said her husband sent a message calling for President Maduro to resign.

President Maduro claimed last week his government had thwarted a coup d’état by the opposition. He claimed the U.S. government was also behind it. However, the State Department said on Thursday the U.S. played no role in the alleged coup.

“The allegations made by the Venezuelan government that the United States is involved in coup plotting and destabilization are baseless and false. The United States does not support political transitions by non-constitutional means,” State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said.

She added the U.S. supports only democratic government transitions and lays the blame for any unrest at the hands of the Maduro administration and its policies.

In response, President Maduro rejected the American claim and called for an end to “imperial abuses.”

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