( CNN ) -- Venezuela has thwarted a plan by two paramilitary groups to kill President Nicolas Maduro , state-run VTV reported Monday . Interior Minister Miguel Rodriguez Torres said members of the groups , made up of nine Colombian citizens , were arrested Sunday in the country 's northwest before they were able to enter the capital , Caracas , with heavy weapons . Intelligence officials are tracking a third group , he said . `` This may be part of a plan that was orchestrated from Colombia to kill President Maduro and de-stabilize the Venezuelan government , '' he said . The two nations have had a contentious relationship since 2007 when then-President Hugo Chavez said he was cutting ties with Colombia and especially former President Alvaro Uribe . He said the Colombian president had bowed to pressure from Washington `` to get rid of Chavez . '' In March of this year , Maduro struck a similar tone , accusing Uribe of hatching a plan to send a paramilitary force into Venezuela to kill him . An attorney for Uribe called Maduro `` a desperate person who holds power illegitimately . '' Maduro was sworn in as president on April 19 after winning a tightly contested election against Henrique Capriles Radonski . Election officials credited Maduro with 51 % of the vote . The election followed the death of Chavez , who died in March following a long battle with cancer . He was 58 . While both Maduro and Capriles have publicly called for peace after the announcement of the tight election results , tensions have been running high in Venezuela . Venezuela 's opposition has filed a lawsuit with the country 's Supreme Court , contesting the results , citing election irregularities that totaled more than 180 pages . Ahead of the suit , Capriles told CNN affiliate Globovision that the results were illegitimate and new elections should be held . `` According to the law , '' he said , `` what should happen would be a new election , without any of the irregularities that we have denounced . ''
The government says nine paramilitary groups plotted to kill Maduro . The groups are made up of two Colombian citizens . Maduro won a tightly contested election against Maduro . Former President Uribe died in March of this year .