Monitoring Desk
CARACAS: A former US soldier captured in Venezuela said that he had been contracted by a Florida security firm to seize control of Caracas’ airport and bring in a plane to fly President Nicolas Maduro to the United States. Venezuelan authorities on Monday arrested the man, Luke Denman, along with fellow US citizen Airan Berry and 11 others, in what Maduro has called a failed plot coordinated with Washington to oust him.
During questioning broadcast on state television, Denman said the firm, Silvercorp USA, had signed a contract with Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido to seek Maduro’s removal. A Guaido advisor told CNN that he had signed an exploratory agreement, but it had never been finalized and the opposition did not support the attempted incursion. US President Donald Trump has denied involvement. A senior Trump administration official said Maduro’s accusations of a US role “are not credible” and the administration remained focused on “achieving a peaceful, democratic transition in Venezuela.”
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the US government would use “every tool” to secure the Americans’ return, if they were being held in Venezuela. In the video, Denman, 34, answered questions from a person off-camera speaking in English Denman, who looked calm and wore a gray t-shirt, said his mission was to secure the airport and establish outer security. He did not give details on how his group planned to get Maduro on a plane.
It was unclear when or where the video was made, and where Denman and Berry are being held. In March, the US Department of Justice charged Maduro and a dozen other current and former Venezuelan officials with “narco-terrorism” and the Trump administration offered a reward of $15 million for information leading to his arrest. “I was helping Venezuelans take back control of their country,” Denman, a former special operations forces member, said in the video.
Denman said he and Berry were contracted by Jordan Goudreau, a US military veteran who leads Silvercorp, to train 50 to 60 Venezuelans in Colombia in January for the operation. Goudreau supplied the group with equipment, Denman said. Goudreau confirmed his role as organizer of the operation in media interviews on Sunday and told Reuters on Monday that Denman and Berry were “my guys.” He could not be immediately reached for comment. Venezuelan authorities said they arrested the group by the isolated coastal town of Chuao, about 60 kilometers (40 miles) west of Caracas’ airport, after locals raised suspicions. Authorities published photos of what they said was the group’s boat, loaded with ammunition, weapons and communication equipment. (Reuters)
