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| Donald Trump denies link to Venezuela armed raid by US citizens | Donald Trump denies link to Venezuela armed raid by US citizens |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Two US ‘mercenaries’ held after Caribbean coast attack foiled but Trump says: ‘It has nothing to do with our government’ | Two US ‘mercenaries’ held after Caribbean coast attack foiled but Trump says: ‘It has nothing to do with our government’ |
| Donald Trump has denied any involvement by the US government in what Venezuelan officials have called a failed armed incursion in the South American country that led to the capture of two American “mercenaries”. | Donald Trump has denied any involvement by the US government in what Venezuelan officials have called a failed armed incursion in the South American country that led to the capture of two American “mercenaries”. |
| The president made the comment to reporters at the White House after Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, announced that authorities there had detained two US citizens working with a US military veteran who has claimed responsibility for the foiled operation. | |
| “We’ll find out. We just heard about it,” Trump said when asked about the incident and the Americans’ arrests. “But it has nothing to do with our government.” | “We’ll find out. We just heard about it,” Trump said when asked about the incident and the Americans’ arrests. “But it has nothing to do with our government.” |
| In a state television address, Maduro said authorities arrested 13 “terrorists” on Monday involved in what he described as a plot coordinated with Washington to enter the country via the Caribbean coast and oust him. | In a state television address, Maduro said authorities arrested 13 “terrorists” on Monday involved in what he described as a plot coordinated with Washington to enter the country via the Caribbean coast and oust him. |
| Eight people were killed during the incursion attempt on Sunday, Venezuelan authorities said. | Eight people were killed during the incursion attempt on Sunday, Venezuelan authorities said. |
| Maduro showed what he said were the US passports and other identification cards belonging to Airan Berry and Luke Denman, whom he said were in custody and had been working with Jordan Goudreau, an American military veteran who leads a Florida-based security company called Silvercorp USA. | Maduro showed what he said were the US passports and other identification cards belonging to Airan Berry and Luke Denman, whom he said were in custody and had been working with Jordan Goudreau, an American military veteran who leads a Florida-based security company called Silvercorp USA. |
| The two detained Americans, former special operations forces members who had served with Goudreau, were believed to be in the custody of Venezuelan military intelligence, according to a person familiar with the matter. | The two detained Americans, former special operations forces members who had served with Goudreau, were believed to be in the custody of Venezuelan military intelligence, according to a person familiar with the matter. |
| The state department did not provide any immediate comment on the arrests. US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, had strongly denied any US government role in the incursions. | The state department did not provide any immediate comment on the arrests. US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, had strongly denied any US government role in the incursions. |
| Washington has waged a campaign of economic sanctions and diplomatic measures against Venezuela in an effort to oust Maduro, accusing him of having rigged elections in 2018. | Washington has waged a campaign of economic sanctions and diplomatic measures against Venezuela in an effort to oust Maduro, accusing him of having rigged elections in 2018. |
| But while Trump has repeatedly said all options are on the table, his administration has shown no apparent interest in military action as it pursues what it calls a “maximum pressure” strategy against Maduro. | But while Trump has repeatedly said all options are on the table, his administration has shown no apparent interest in military action as it pursues what it calls a “maximum pressure” strategy against Maduro. |
| Maduro’s government, however, says the United States wants to control the Opec member nation’s massive oil reserves. | Maduro’s government, however, says the United States wants to control the Opec member nation’s massive oil reserves. |
| Since early 2019, the United States and dozens of other countries have recognized the opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the legitimate interim president. | Since early 2019, the United States and dozens of other countries have recognized the opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the legitimate interim president. |
| But Maduro remains in power, backed by the military as well as Russia, Cuba and China, which some US officials say privately is a source of frustration for Trump. | But Maduro remains in power, backed by the military as well as Russia, Cuba and China, which some US officials say privately is a source of frustration for Trump. |
| Guaidó – often derided by Maduro as a US puppet – cast doubt on the government’s version of Sunday’s events. He insisted that Maduro was seeking to distract from other problems in recent days, including a deadly prison riot and a violent days-long gang battle in Caracas, the capital. | |
| David Smilde, a Venezuela analyst at the Washington Office on Latin America, said he suspected that while the planned incursion into the country was probably the work of freelancing mercenaries, their plan may have been motivated by misguided and cavalier US policy. | |
| “Put a $15m reward on Nicolás Maduro like we are in the wild west and you can pretty much count on some people acting like cowboys,” said Smilde in reference to indictments leveled at Maduro and his cronies. | |
| “In the end this has strengthened the Maduro government in its efforts to look invincible, and has undermined the Guaidó government’s efforts to look legitimate and competent,” said Smilde. | |
| Mike Vigil, the former head of international operations for the Drug Enforcement Administration, said to the AP: “It shocks me how insane they were. They walked right into a coiled rattlesnake without even having minimally studied the capacity of the Venezuelan armed forces.” | |
| Vanessa Neumann, Guaidó’s envoy to the UK, denied any links with the failed incursion, but raised fears for the captured Americans. “It is deeply unfortunate that they will become bargaining chips for the Maduro regime,” the diplomat said. “And that they will suffer the same awful conditions that Venezuelan prisoners also face, in crumbling jails with no healthcare during a pandemic,” Neumann said. | |
| Goudreau released a video identifying himself as an organizer of the operation, alongside a dissident Venezuelan military officer, Javier Nieto. He identified one of the fighters as “Commander Sequea”, which appeared to be a reference to Antonio Sequea, who was identified by state television as one of the people arrested. | Goudreau released a video identifying himself as an organizer of the operation, alongside a dissident Venezuelan military officer, Javier Nieto. He identified one of the fighters as “Commander Sequea”, which appeared to be a reference to Antonio Sequea, who was identified by state television as one of the people arrested. |
| Silvercorp’s website describes Goudreau as a “highly decorated Special Forces Iraq and Afghanistan veteran”. | Silvercorp’s website describes Goudreau as a “highly decorated Special Forces Iraq and Afghanistan veteran”. |
| Reuters and the Associated Press contributed reporting |