Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro claimed that he captured two American “mercenaries” after they launched a botched attempt to overthrow his regime.
In a TV address on Monday, Maduro held up passports that he said belonged to the two men in addition to their driver’s licenses and ID cards for Silvercorp, a security company based in Florida whose owner said he was behind the failed coup. Maduro has asserted that the identifying documents belong to Silvercorp employees Airan Berry and Luke Denman, according to CNN.
Silvercorp’s owner is Jordan Goudreau, a retired Green Beret. He claimed on social media Sunday that his company was behind the incursion and that “Operation Gedeon” had begun. Goudreau also claimed that additional armed cells were activated across Venezuela and that the two Americans were captured along with six Venezuelans as part of the operation.
President Trump denied prior knowledge of the incident and said that the United States was not involved in the situation.
“I just got information on that … But it has nothing to do with our government,” he told reporters outside the White House on Tuesday.
The Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said it was not involved in any sort of incursion. Maduro had previously accused Colombian President Ivan Duque of being complicit in the mysterious operation.
“These accusations try to hide the real problems the Venezuelan people face, following a usual strategy from this illegitimate regime to look for distractions abroad in times of domestic crisis,” the ministry said in a statement.
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who is recognized by the U.S. as being the rightful leader of the country, also said he was not involved in the incident. Guaido called for Maduro’s regime to respect the human rights of those who were captured.
UPDATE: In a statement to the Washington Examiner, a spokesperson with the State Department said that the U.S. was not involved in Silvercorp’s activities and that there was a “major disinformation campaign underway by the Maduro regime.”
“We are making efforts to learn more, including about the activities of two U.S. Citizens who are reportedly in the custody of the former regime, as well as Mr. Goudreau,” the spokesperson wrote. “We will also be looking closely into the role of the Maduro regime in this melodrama and especially of the very large Cuban intelligence apparatus in Venezuela. The record of falsehoods and manipulation by Maduro and his accomplices, as well as their highly questionable representation of the details, argues that nothing should be taken at face value when we see the distorting of facts.”
“We are aware of reports of the arrest of two U.S. citizens in Venezuela. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment,” the spokesperson added.
