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Sources said that there could be up to 400 contractors of Russia-backed underground group Wagner, adding that there was a contingent in Caracas but could not spell out their role in Venezuela. Maduro, supported by Moscow, is fighting for his presidency after opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself Venezuela's leader last week. Guaido is backed by Washington, but Vladimir Putin is making every effort to ensure that Maduro retains power, despite the fact that his approval rate is around 20%.
Wagner is known for his secret missions around the world, particularly in Africa, where they were linked to the death of three Russian journalists who made a documentary about their work in the Central African Republic.
Jason Marczak, director of the Adrienne Arsht Center for Latin America at the Atlantic Council in Washington DC, told Newsweek that Russia wants to support Maduro, because of its anti-US stance, its access to the rich oil reserves and its weapons agreements.
Mr. Marczak said: "While the financial situation of the Venezuelan government was becoming precarious due to a lack of oil profits, Venezuelan leaders have been forced to turn to other countries for hard currency. , and Russia was too eager to support regime in Caracas that is anti-United States and took a number of measures to threaten the interests not only of the United States, but also of other countries in the region.
"Moscow has acquired a strong ally on the American continent while Russia seeks to counter the United States."
The South American badyst added: "In addition, Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world. Rosneft (the oil and gas company of the Russian government) has thus gained access to the oil fields of Venezuela and Russia supplies arms to Maduro and the army.
Russia has also given billions of dollars to the socialist Maduro government since coming to power in 2013.
China has joined Moscow to urge countries not to intervene in Venezuela after the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe offered their support to Mr Guaido.
But Wagner's presence raises serious questions about foreign interference in the crisis.
The group is made up mostly of former soldiers and has also been involved in skirmishes supporting Russian forces in Syria and Ukraine.
Wagner is headed by Russian Lieutenant Dmitry Utkin, also a member of the Russian military intelligence service GRU, the organization accused of being at the origin of poisoning Salisbury.
Russian media say Wagner is coordinated by Yevgeniy Prigozhin, a man nicknamed "Putin's leader".
Yevgeny Shabayev, leader of a local group of paramilitary Cossacks linked to Russian military contractors, said the contingent of Wagner fighters had arrived in Venezuela early last week.
Citing contacts within a security structure of the Russian state, Mr Shabayev said that they did not come from Moscow but from third countries where they were active a few days before the start of the events.
He added that they used two chartered planes via Cuba, another big supporter of Maduro and the plans of his predecessor Hugo Chavez.
After arriving in Havana, Mr. Shabayev explained that Wagner's agents then used regular commercial flights to Venezuela.
One of the anonymous sources related to Wagner said that the deployment was "directly related" to Maduro's protection.
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