In a chilling scene broadcast live to thousands, an American activist has been arrested by police in Grand Rapids, Michigan, mere moments after giving a television interview criticizing the US military intervention in Venezuela.

Jessica Plichta, a 22-year-old preschool teacher and co-founder of the anti-war group Grand Rapids Opponents of War, was handcuffed and led away by officers as news cameras rolled. Her crime? Allegedly "obstructing a roadway" during a protest earlier that day. However, supporters and civil rights groups argue the timing of the arrest—executed only after she spoke to the media—signals a targeted attempt to silence dissent against the Trump administration’s foreign policy.

Targeted for Travel?

Plichta is not just a random protester. She had recently returned from Caracas, where she attended the "International People’s Assembly for Sovereignty and Peace" just weeks before the US raid that deposed President Nicolás Maduro. While the Trump administration had ordered a blockade of Venezuelan airspace, Plichta and other activists defied the ban to witness the situation on the ground.

• The Interview: Moments before her arrest, Plichta told a local reporter: "We do not want war. We don't want our friends and family to fight a rich man's war for oil." As the camera light turned off, officers moved in.
• Police Tactics: Emerson Wolfe, a local organizer, described the arrest as a calculated intimidation tactic. "They wait until you speak, then they grab you. It is designed to terrify others into silence," Wolfe said.
• The Charge: Plichta faces misdemeanor charges for failing to obey a lawful command. Police claim the protest blocked traffic, but witnesses say the arrest was selective—Plichta was the only one detained out of nearly 200 demonstrators.

A "New North Korea"?

The viral footage has sparked outrage online, with netizens comparing the heavy-handed police response to authoritarian regimes. For Kenyan observers, the incident is a stark reminder that freedom of speech is increasingly fragile, even in the "land of the free." As the US tightens its grip on Venezuela, it appears to be tightening the leash on its own citizens as well.