Chavez: U.S. Detained Foreign Minister

Hugo Chavez. President of Venezuela, addresses the 61st session of the U.N. General Assembly at UN headquarters, in this Sept. 20, 2006 file photo. Unlike in years past, Bush's address to the General Assembly did not make waves. It was Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who attracted the rock star treatment and Chavez, who drew applause when he called Bush "the devil. (AP Photo/Ed Betz, File) (Ed Betz - AP)

In remarks carried by Venezuelan TV stations, Maduro said U.S. authorities claimed a code on his airplane ticket identified him as "almost a terrorist."

Maduro abandoned his plans to board his flight and returned to New York city.

The incident comes as tensions between the two countries have taken a particularly confrontational turn this week.

Chavez has previously called Bush a "devil," "donkey" and "madman." While two countries are tied by oil _ Venezuela is among the top five suppliers of crude to the U.S. _ relations soured sharply in 2002 after the Bush administration swiftly recognized leaders who briefly ousted Chavez in a coup, before the Venezuelan returned to power amid street protests.

But this week's verbal attacks against his long-time foe while on American soil elicited a sharp backlash.

Bush's political foes and friends alike have condemned the remarks, newspapers have sharply criticized the Venezuelan leader, while a call has emerged for businesses to boycott Venezuela-owned Citgo Petroleum Corp. One U.S. governor said his state is no longer interested in buying discounted heating oil from Venezuela this winter.

Earlier Saturday, Chavez said Bush may be seeking to kill him for calling him "the devil" at the United Nations.

"Some worried friends over there have called me (to say) that because I called him the devil they have condemned me to death," Chavez said without elaborating further on his sources.

"But they won't kill me. I have faith in life," he said. "I know how to take care of myself and the Lord will protect me and you all will protect me," he told a cheering crowd in eastern Venezuela where he was visiting a group of state-funded agricultural cooperatives.

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AP U.N. correspondent Edith M. Lederer contributed to this report.