It was an outlandish attack on Venezuela’s centers of power: A police helicopter swooped down from a clear sky while someone inside dropped grenades on the Supreme Court and opened fire on the Interior Ministry. 
 
 The rogue police officers inside the craft waved a banner that referred to an article in the Constitution that allows for civil uprisings against tyrants. 
 
 But if the assault on Tuesday was meant as a call to arms, it instead perplexed Venezuelans who have been protesting against the government and a devastating economic crisis. Demonstrators took to the streets on Wednesday, many voicing admiration for the stunt, but also wondering why anyone would engage in such a hapless attack. The police stayed in their precincts, showing little support for the dissident officers. 
 
 Some people even wondered whether the government had somehow orchestrated the events as a distraction. 

 Oscar Perez is the alleged perpetrator of an attack which saw a police helicopter target Venezuela’s Supreme Court building and Interior Ministry. 
 
 In what Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro dubbed as an “act of terrorism”, the pilot of a police helicopter dropped four grenades on the court and fired 15 shots at the Interior Ministry which had scores of people inside. 
 
 Venezuelan daily El Nacional claimed that Oscar Pérez piloted the helicopter. 
 
 Venezuela’s government has also said in a communique that Perez declared himself in rebellion against Maduro and was behind the attack, but who is the ‘Rambo of Venezuela’? 
 
 Career 
 
 A former captain in the CICPC, Venezuela’s intelligence and investigative body, Perez states on his Instagram profile that he is “a crime units investigator, a pilot and a K9 instructor”. 
 
 Political affiliation 
 
 Perez claims to have no political affiliation and in one of his Instagram posts gestured to a purple ribbon tied around his arm saying his allegiance was to “the truth and to Christ”. 
 
 Social media 
 
 Perez is active on social media and has posted multiple videos to his Instagram account in which he appears flanked by four masked men wielding what appear to be assault rifles and addresses the camera directly. 
 
 5/5 Tenemos dos opciones ser juzgados el día de mañana por nuestras conciencias y el pueblo, o a partir de hoy librarnos de este Gobierno Corrupto. Somos Guerreros de Dios y nuestra misión es vivir al servicio del pueblo. ¡VIVA VENEZUELA! ¡QUE VIVA! A post shared by OSCARPEREZ (@oscarperezgv) on Jun 27, 2017 at 4:18pm PDT 
 
 The five recent videos that Perez has posted in this style had collectively received 1.6 million views by late Tuesday, June 27, night. 
 
 https://twitter.com/oscaromshanti/media?lang=fr 
 
 Film career 
 
 In 2015, Perez appeared in the Spanish language film “Death Suspended,” the plot of which centred around the CICPC. 

 Oscar Pérez, the rogue police pilot Venezuelan officials say is behind a helicopter attack on the country’s capital has movie-star looks and movie credits. He has also suddenly become the face of the opposition to President Nicolas Maduro. But is this all just a diversion? WSJ’s Tanya Rivero reports. Photo: Instagram/oscarperezgv 
 
 CARACAS, Venezuela—The government’s account of what caused it to put this capital city under military control on Tuesday night sounded like an action-movie plot: Police commando Oscar Pérez hijacks a police chopper, flies around the capital promoting rebellion and dropping explosives, then lands and disappears into thin air. 
 
 The narrative would be fitting for Mr. Pérez, a part-time action actor. But Caracas residents have been glued to social media since Tuesday, looking for any clues that would explain the bizarre events... 

 (CNN) A stolen police helicopter used during a daring attack on the Venezuelan Supreme Court was found Wednesday in a rural part of the country, but the man authorities say piloted the aircraft is on the run. 
 
 The helicopter was allegedly piloted by Oscar Perez, an officer in the country's investigative police force. As it strafed the court building and the Interior Ministry in Caracas on Tuesday, attackers fired gunshots and lobbed grenades, officials said. 
 
 The assault was a dramatic escalation of the months-long crisis engulfing the regime of President Nicolas Maduro. 
 
 None of those involved in the attack appear to have been tracked down. Venezuela has asked Interpol to issue a red notice for Perez, according to Néstor Luis Reverol, the county's minister of interior, justice and peace. A red notice alerts authorities in other countries, including border officials, that someone is wanted. 
 
 The helicopter was found in the seaside state of Vargas, Venezuelan state news agency AVN reported. Photos published on the verified Twitter feed for Venezuela's Vice President Tareck El Aissami‏ show the helicopter in a clearing. It was found by the Venezuelan Air Force in a heavily-wooded area near the municipality of Osma, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) northeast of Caracas. 
 
 Maduro condemned the attack as an attempted coup, saying "terrorists" were behind the offensive and that an operation was underway to track the perpetrators down. 
 
 But much remained murky about the assault. If it was an attempt to unseat Maduro's government, it was a spectacular failure; no one was injured and one of the grenades failed to explode, government officials said. 
 
 It was unclear how a rogue police helicopter could have circled high-profile buildings in the Venezuelan capital without being shot down. Witnesses and local journalists said the assault went on for about two hours. 
 
 Earlier Tuesday, Maduro appeared to foreshadow an uprising, saying that his supporters would be ready to take up arms if the "Bolivarian revolution" was threatened. 
 
 The attack came after months of protests against Maduro's regime and ahead of a vote on July 30 to elect members of a controversial new body that could make changes to the country's constitution. 
 
 Video messager 
 
 Before the attack began, a man who identified himself as Perez appeared in a video online saying an operation was underway to seize democracy back from Venezuela's "criminal government." Flanked by a group of armed men in military fatigues and balaclavas, Perez claimed to be speaking on behalf of a coalition of military, police officers and civil officials. 
 
 In his video message, Perez said he was a pilot in the special response unit of Venezuela's Criminal Investigative Police (CICPC) and demanded that Maduro step down. 
 
 The pilot of the helicopter, Oscar Perez, in a video message posted online. 
 
 "On this day, we are carrying out a deployment by air and land with the sole purpose to return the democratic power to the people and to ensure the laws to establish constitutional order," he said. 
 
 Photographs posted online showed a helicopter with the initials of the investigative police unit on its side, flying above the capital, Caracas. 
 
 Through an open door an occupant is seen holding a banner saying "Article 350 libertad" -- referring to an article in the Venezuelan constitution that allows citizens to oppose the government should it subvert democratic principles. 
 
 Se reporta explosión en el TSJ, un helicoptero del CICPC lanzó un explosivo a la sede del TSJ. pic.twitter.com/3OFjJthSGs — Reynaldo Riobueno (@reynaldor297) June 27, 2017 
 
 It remained unclear on Wednesday how much support the assailants enjoyed among the police and security services they claimed to represent. 
 
 The background of Perez, the apparent ringleader, appeared colorful: Reuters reported that he was involved in a 2015 action film, Suspended Death, which he co-produced and starred in as an intelligence agent rescuing a kidnapped businessman. 
 
 Maduro response 
 
 Minister for Communications and Information Ernesto Villegas called the incident an attempted coup. 
 
 He said the attackers had launched four grenades, two against a group of National Guards who were protecting the court building. About 15 shots were fired around the Ministry of the Interior, a few blocks away from the presidential palace, he said, while a social event was ongoing inside the building, celebrating the National Day of Journalists. Around 80 people were in the building, he said. 
 
 Maduro said he had activated government security forces to investigate the attack. 
 
 Earlier Tuesday, Maduro warned of a potential attack. Speaking at a rally, he said, "If Venezuela was launched into chaos and violence and the Bolivarian Revolution was destroyed, we would go to combat. 
 
 "We would never give up. And what couldn't be done with votes, we would do it with weapons. We would liberate our fatherland with arms." 
 
 Villegas said the vote on the constituent assembly would go ahead as planned. "This will not impede the right to vote by the Venezuelan people on July 30th to elect the members of the National Assembly constituency," he said. 
 
 Critics have said it would also allow for the reshaping of the current legislative body, as well as redefining the President's executive powers. 
 
 The government intimidates and restricts the media in Venezuela, taking CNN en Español off the air. The government tightly controls visas for foreign journalists including CNN, arresting those who report from inside the country without proper permits. 
 
 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A costumed demonstrator in Caracas, Venezuela, protests the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Sunday, August 6. Unrest continued to sweep through the country after a new legislative assembly was inaugurated following a controversial election on July 30. The new assembly has wide-ranging powers and is expected to rewrite the Venezuelan constitution at Maduro's behest. Opposition supporters, who see the vote as a power grab and an erosion of democracy, boycotted and staged demonstrations against the vote. Hide Caption 1 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Soldiers stop a vehicle and detain its passengers on the Paramacay military base in Valencia, Venezuela, on August 6. According to authorities, two people were killed when an anti-government paramilitary attack was quelled at the base. Hide Caption 2 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Anti-government activists stand near a flaming barricade in Valencia on August 6. Hide Caption 3 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A man is arrested in Valencia during clashes between anti-government activists and the National Guard on August 6. Hide Caption 4 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Members of the Venezuelan armed forces fly over Valencia in a helicopter while citizens demonstrate in support of a group that staged a paramilitary uprising at the Paramacay military base on August 6. Hide Caption 5 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Venezuela's Chief Prosecutor Luisa Ortega Diaz, third from left, is surrounded by employees of the General Prosecutor's office as she is barred by security forces from entering her office in Caracas on Saturday, August 5. Hide Caption 6 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Diosdado Cabello, a member of Venezuela's National Constituent Assembly, holds an image of Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez as delegates gather for a group photo following their swearing-in ceremony on Friday, August 4. Hide Caption 7 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Opposition activists protest against the newly inaugurated National Constituent Assembly on August 4. Hide Caption 8 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A woman in Caracas attends a vigil Monday, July 31, for anti-government activists who have died in the country's recent unrest. More than 120 people have been killed in Venezuela since early April, according to the attorney general's office. Hide Caption 9 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Opposition lawmaker Juan Requesens addresses a rally in Caracas on July 31. Two other leading opposition figures, Leopoldo Lopez and Antonio Ledezma, were rounded up from their homes, according to their families. Hide Caption 10 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Maduro celebrates the results of a national vote on Sunday, July 30. His opponents boycotted the election and demonstrated against it for weeks, saying he orchestrated it to get around the existing National Assembly, which the opposition has controlled since 2015. Maduro has argued that the Constituent Assembly will help bring peace to a polarized country, with all branches of the government falling under the political movement founded by his late mentor and predecessor, Hugo Chavez. Hide Caption 11 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Members of Venezuela's national police are caught in an explosion as they ride motorcycles near Altamira Square in Caracas on July 30. Venezuela has seen widespread unrest since March 29, when the Supreme Court dissolved Parliament and transferred all legislative powers to itself. The decision was later reversed, but protests have continued across the country, which is also in the midst of an economic crisis. Hide Caption 12 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A wounded anti-government demonstrator is helped by medics during clashes with police in Caracas on July 30. Hide Caption 13 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A demonstrator shouts slogans through a traffic cone during an anti-government protest in Caracas on July 30. Hide Caption 14 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A protester wounded by a pellet gun receives attention July 30 during a demonstration against the vote for a Constituent Assembly. Hide Caption 15 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A member of the National Guard fires at protesters during clashes in Caracas on Friday, July 28. Hide Caption 16 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A demonstrator dressed as Venezuelan independence hero Simon Bolivar is silhouetted against a national flag in Caracas on Monday, July 24. Hide Caption 17 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Venezuelan police Officer Oscar Perez joins in an anti-government protest in Caracas on Thursday, July 13. Perez allegedly piloted a stolen police helicopter used to attack the Venezuelan Supreme Court with grenades on June 27. Hide Caption 18 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Venezuelan lawmakers Luis Stefanelli, left, and Jose Regnault appear stunned in a corridor of the National Assembly after a clash with demonstrators in Caracas on Wednesday, July 5. Supporters of Maduro stormed the building and attacked opposition lawmakers, witnesses said. At least seven legislative employees and five lawmakers were injured, according to National Assembly President Julio Borges. Journalists said they were also assaulted. Hide Caption 19 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela National Guard members clash with deputies of the National Assembly in the Parliament's courtyard in Caracas on Tuesday, June 27. Hide Caption 20 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A boy runs under a national flag during a June 27 protest in Caracas. Hide Caption 21 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Protesters tear down a fence at the La Carlota airbase outside Caracas on Friday, June 23. A soldier shot a demonstrator through the fence at the base on the previous day, killing him. Hide Caption 22 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Hide Caption 23 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Protester David Jose Vallenilla is shot through a fence by a member of the National Guard near a military base in Caracas on Thursday, June 22. Vallenilla later died in the hospital after suffering three gunshot wounds to the chest. Hide Caption 24 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Maduro holds up a copy of the Venezuelan constitution during a news conference at the presidential palace in Caracas on June 22. Maduro has called for changes to the constitution amid the unrest. Hide Caption 25 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A protester hides behind a barrier in Caracas on June 22. Hide Caption 26 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela An opposition activist displays bullet shells during an anti-government demonstration on Monday, June 19. Hide Caption 27 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela People flee during a clash between opposition demonstrators and riot police in Caracas on June 19. Hide Caption 28 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Opposition activists aim projectiles toward riot police during a demonstration on June 19. Hide Caption 29 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Demonstrators stand in front of a police vehicle on June 19. Hide Caption 30 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A street in eastern Caracas is painted with the names of people killed during more than two months of protests. Hide Caption 31 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela During a "Grandparents' March" in Caracas, a man is blocked by police from reaching the Government Ombudsman's Office on Friday, May 12. Hide Caption 32 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Opposition activists scuffle with riot police in Caracas on May 12. Hide Caption 33 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Thousands of Venezuelan protesters march on a Caracas highway on Wednesday, May 10. Hide Caption 34 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Opposition activists clash with riot police in Caracas on Monday, May 8. Hide Caption 35 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Hide Caption 36 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela An armored National Guard vehicle runs over a protester in Caracas on Wednesday, May 3. The protester, 22-year-old Pedro Michell Yaminne, survived, his mother told CNN. Interior and justice minister Nestor Reverol told reporters that the "lamentable" incident was under investigation. He said that moments before Yaminne was run over, demonstrators hurled a Molotov cocktail at the armored vehicle, opened the side door and "brutally assaulted" the driver. Hide Caption 37 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A demonstrator catches fire during protests in Caracas on May 3. It happened as protesters clashed with police and the gas tank of a police motorcycle exploded. Other photos from the scene showed the man being attended for burns to his body. Hide Caption 38 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A demonstrator stands in front of an armored vehicle during protests in Caracas on Wednesday, April 19. Hide Caption 39 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Opposition leader Henrique Capriles reacts to tear gas during a protest on April 19. Hide Caption 40 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Riot police clash with demonstrators while tear gas fills the air in Caracas on April 19. Hide Caption 41 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Rescue workers tend to a demonstrator hit by a tear gas canister during anti-government protests on April 19. Hide Caption 42 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A demonstrator reacts during a march in Caracas on Saturday, April 15. Hide Caption 43 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A protester suffering from the effects of tear gas is carried away on Thursday, April 13. Hide Caption 44 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Clouds of tear gas spread across a highway in Caracas during clashes on Monday, April 10. Hide Caption 45 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Demonstrators help a journalist whose leg was injured while covering clashes in Caracas on April 10. Hide Caption 46 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Thousands of demonstrators protest against Maduro in Caracas on Saturday, April 8. Hide Caption 47 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Venezuelan police line up before clashing with opposition activists on Thursday, April 6. Hide Caption 48 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Demonstrators fight with national police officers in Caracas on Tuesday, April 4. Hide Caption 49 of 49 
 
 Opposition lawmakers, guardsmen clash 
 
 Shortly before the helicopter incident, there were clashes about a mile away between opposition lawmakers and Venezuelan National Guardsmen outside the Venezuelan National Assembly. 
 
 According to the National Assembly's official Twitter page, the scuffles -- caught on video -- started after the National Guardsmen came into the building carrying electoral boxes, prompting demands for an explanation from lawmakers. 
 
 Members of the National Guard clash with deputies of the National Assembly in the courtyard of the Parliament in Caracas on Tuesday. 
 
 Opposition lawmakers said they had been prevented by guardsmen from leaving the building for over four hours. A journalist was injured, they said. 
 
 Late Tuesday night, the Venezuelan Supreme Court issued a decision that grants Venezuelan Ombudsman Tarek Williams Saab -- a Maduro loyalist -- powers to investigate, defend and oversee human rights complaints. 
 
 The decision follows disagreement between the offices of the Ombudsman and the Attorney General as to who is responsible for the investigation and prosecution of human rights abuses. 
 
 It is unclear from the Supreme Court's decision if the powers have been fully transferred to Saab or if the two offices will now investigate cases. CNN is seeking clarification from the government. 
 
 Months of chaos 
 
 Venezuela is in the throes of a political and humanitarian crisis which has brought thousands of people onto the streets in mass protests demanding a change of government. 
 
 Soaring inflation and widespread shortages of medicines, food and other essentials have infuriated many people, who are struggling to afford even basic necessities. 
 
 A group of hooded civilians stand outside the Parliament building in Caracas on Tuesday. 
 
 Under former President Hugo Chavez, who was Maduro's mentor, oil revenue fueled Venezuela's economy. However, falling oil prices have made state subsidies unsustainable.
– Authorities in Venezuela are hunting for the police commando who led Tuesday's daring helicopter attack on the capital that has left the country stumped. The Wall Street Journal reports that questions are flying after Oscar Perez, the wayward cop and part-time action movie star allegedly behind the plot, managed to vanish after hijacking the chopper and dropping grenades and pro-rebellion propaganda. The chopper was found on Wednesday in a jungle outside Caracas, but there was no trace of Perez or the others. Embattled President Nicolas Maduro ordered a security crackdown, as puzzled Venezuelans scoured social media for clues to what exactly happened. Some wondered if the scandal-tainted government staged the brazen scheme in an effort to curtail daily, paralyzing demonstrations that have destabilized the government, per the New York Times. Protesters who initially cheered a rogue band of cops presumably opposed to Maduro later weren't so sure. "I wanted it to be true," one witness tells the Times. "But I had to ask myself if this had all been staged or wasn’t coming from the government." Most Venezuelans "don't know what to make of it," one analyst says. Maduro blamed "terrorists," and officials insisted the plot was real, engineered by the CIA and retired Gen. Miguel Rodriguez Torres, a Maduro critic. Torres called the attack that left no injuries a "stupid montage," per the Journal. He questioned how the chopper could buzz the city for so long—CNN reports it lasted about two hours—without being shot down. Perez starred in the 2015 movie Suspended Death, in which he jumps out of a police chopper and shoots Colombian gangsters, per the Journal. He claims no political affiliation on Instagram, notes Euronews.