( CNN ) -- A French man jailed for an alleged plot to kill Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in 2009 was deported to France on Saturday , a Venezuelan official said . Frederic Laurent Bouquet 's expulsion was announced via a tweet by Iris Varela , the minister for the prison system . `` Frederic Laurent Bouquet was sentenced to four years ( in Venezuelan jail ) , after confessing to plotting against Chavez . He had an arsenal in his possession '' Varela tweeted . According to Venezuelan state-run National Radio and the state-run Venezuelan TV station , Bouquet was arrested in 2009 with three men from the Dominican Republic . He had multiple guns as well as explosives and other military gear with him , according to reports . `` This arrest is a serious blow to terrorism and to those groups that seek to drag into Venezuela scenes of blood and confrontation , '' Tarek El Aissami , then-interior minister , told reporters at the time . El Aissami at the time said Bouquet had military experience and had spent some time in Israel . He also said Bouquet was presumed to be a French intelligence agent . In her tweet , Varela said Bouquet 's deportation complies with a Venezuelan law that allows the government to expel anyone who jeopardizes the security and defense of the nation .
Officials say Bouquet confessed to the plot . They also allege he is a French intelligence agent . Comment: