Abduction of William Niehous

William Frank Niehous (August 11, 1931 – October 9, 2013) His captors claimed he was a CIA spy.

The GCR referred to the operation as "Argimiro Gabaldón". The subsequent arrest and killing of Rodríguez by the Directorate of Intelligence and Prevention Services for his involvement in the kidnapping was a foundational memory for his daughter, Delcy Rodríguez, who was seven years old when her father died. The event was one of the reasons for her adopting a political career. She became acting president of Venezuela after the US kidnapped Nicolás Maduro in January 2026.

Niehous' kidnappers demanded, as a condition of his release, a 3.5 million U.S. dollar ransom ,

He was held from February 1976 until his rescue by rural police in June 1979. , one of the individuals involved in the kidnapping, remained a leading figure within Red Flag as late as 2013.