The Latest: Venezuela reports detaining national guardsmen

The Latest on a reported national guard uprising in Venezuela (all times local):

11 a.m.

Venezuela’s supreme court says it’s throwing out recent congressional measures that found Nicolas Maduro’s presidency illegitimate — with the pro-government justices ruling that leadership of the opposition-dominated congress itself is invalid.

The high court magistrates say in a statement issued Monday that Venezuela’s chief prosecutor should determine whether to bring criminal charges against congressional leaders.

Opposition lawmaker Juan Guaido was sworn in as the National Assembly’s president on Jan. 5 and immediately preceded to oversee legislation accusing Maduro of usurping power and calling on countries from around the world to freeze his government’s assets.

Maduro was sworn in for a second, six-year term on Jan. 10 despite widespread condemnation that he was taking Venezuela down the path of dictatorship after his main opponents were banned from running in last year’s vote.

———

9:25 a.m.

Venezuela’s military says it has detained several national guardsmen who stole a cache of weapons and kidnapped two officers.

The statement appears to confirm reports of an uprising by a national guard unit that triggered disturbances in a poor neighborhood a few kilometers (miles) from the presidential palace in Caracas on Monday.

The military says the guardsmen were motivated by far-right groups to betray their oath. It says all of the weapons had been recovered.

Defense Minsiter Vladimir Padrino Lopez sent a message on Twitter promising that the rebellious guardsmen would be punished with the full weight of the law.