CARACAS – The U.S. has expelled Venezuela’s charge d’affaires in Washington and two other diplomats in reprisal for the expulsion of three American diplomats from Caracas, both countries said late Tuesday.

The tit-for-tat move came a day after the expulsion of the Americans, accused of plotting acts of sabotage against the government, the Foreign Ministry in Caracas said.

In Washington, a State Department official confirmed the Venezuelan charge d’affaires, Calixto Ortega Rios, and two other diplomats had been told Monday they had 48 hours to leave the United States. Ortega and another diplomat were based in Washington while the third was the consul in Houston.