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“We have mobilized more than 25,000 members of the armed forces to clear every inch of our country of mercenaries, paramilitary organizations, and other threats,” Remigio Ceballos, head of the army’s strategic command, said on state television.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced Monday that thirteen “terrorists” had been arrested, including two US citizens he called mercenaries. As he said, they were involved in a conspiracy designed to take him out of power.
“We captured thirteen terrorists. We also confiscated the assets they wanted to use to carry out their plan. We found drugs, dollars, weapons, satellite phones, radio transceivers and night vision devices,” said the Venezuelan president. “They played Rambo, they wanted to be heroic,” he emphasized. He added that the Venezuelan authorities had learned of the plan in advance.
Maduro spoke on state television showing the alleged passports and other identity documents of Airan Berry and Luke Denman. In addition, Jordan Goudreau, who handled the alleged landing action, identified them as employees of Florida-based Silvercorp, led by a former green-capped American soldier.
Goudreau also identified Americans in the hands of Venezuelan authorities as Denman and Berry on Monday. As he said, he served with them in Iraq and Afghanistan and participated in the Venezuelan operation. Goudreau said the two Americans were waiting for a ship on the island of Aruba after a clash with Venezuelan security forces on Sunday that would have helped them with fuel to leave the area.
The US Department of State. USA It has not yet responded to the alleged arrests, and the US leadership. USA He has firmly denied that it has anything to do with what happened.
Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab had previously reported on Twitter that security forces had captured eight more people on Monday, who were also trying to enter the Latin American country by sea. As he wrote, this group was also made up of mercenaries who could be associated with Sunday’s attackers. Among them was Antonio Sequea, a captain of the Venezuelan National Guard who had been involved in a riot against Maduro at a military barracks a year ago.
Venezuelan state television on Monday showed a series of images of recent detainees squatting on the ground with their hands tied to the footage. Members of the group were reportedly captured off the coast of Chuao, Aragua, by fishermen who are members of the Venezuelan People’s Mobilization Forces.
“There is no doubt that the imperialists organized this attack against our country,” Diosdado Cabello, president of the Constituent Assembly of Venezuela (ANC), wrote on Twitter on Monday, referring to the United States. The politician also posted a video on his microblogging in which one of the captured “mercenaries”, Josnars Adolfo Baduel, in response to a question from a security official, spoke about the two US citizens captured with him.
At the same time, the US news agency AP was unable to confirm information about the arrest of US citizens from an independent source.
Diosdado Cabello announced in Caracas on Sunday that he had been killed by eight “terrorist mercenaries” and that two of his comrades had been detained on the north coast of Venezuela in an attempted invasion. The attackers, he said, tried to enter Venezuela by boat at dawn and had many weapons, and landed in La Guaira, about 32 kilometers from Caracas. Cabello believes the background is the United States and Colombia. One of those arrested is a Venezuelan citizen who, according to Cabello, stated that he works for the United States Drug Control Administration (DEA).
US and Colombian officials also denied the Caracas leaders’ claims.
The AP reported Monday that a former American in a green cap claims to have organized an aborted landing near Caracas to topple Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Jordan Goudreau, who also served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and retired Venezuelan military officer Javier Nieto posted a video of an unnamed location. In it, they claimed that they had organized a coup attempt against Maduro, an operation known as Gideon.
According to the Venezuelan opposition and the US authorities, Maduro and his allies could have organized the attack.
Venezuela’s domestic political crisis worsened further last January after Juan Guaidó was proclaimed interim president of Venezuela. Since then, led by the United States, many western and regional countries have recognized him in this capacity until free elections are held. However, Maduro was able to retain his power, especially thanks to the support of the Venezuelan army and its key allies, including China, Russia, Cuba and Turkey. Venezuela, once enriched by oil revenues, is also experiencing one of the worst economic crises in its history in recent years.
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