Trump denies ties to Venezuelan attack
CARACAS, Venezuela — President Donald Trump said Tuesday the United States had nothing to do with an alleged incursion into Venezuela that landed two U.S. citizens behind bars in the crisisstricken South American nation.
Mr. Trump said he had just learned of the detention of the pair, accused by Venezuela of being mercenaries. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said they were part of an operation to kill him that was backed by neighboring Colombia and the United States.
“Whatever it is, we’ll let you know,” Mr. Trump told reporters in Washington before departing from the White House to Arizona. “But it has nothing to do with our government.”
Venezuelan authorities identified the two men as Luke Denman and Airan Berry, both former U.S. special forces soldiers associated with the Floridabased private security firm Silvercorp USA.
A third U.S. ex-Green Beret and Silvercorp founder, Jordan Goudreau, claimed responsibility for leading “Operation Gideon,” which was launched with an attempted beach landing before dawn on Sunday. Officials said Tuesday six suspected attackers were killed, giving a revised figure from the eight previously reported.
The two ex-U.S. soldiers were detained Monday dozens of miles from the first attempted beach landing in the fishing village of Chuao. Authorities say they’ve confiscated equipment.
Mr. Goudreau said the operation was designed to capture — and not kill — Mr. Maduro. He said he carried it out on a “shoestring budget” after signing an agreement with U.S.-backed Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, whom Mr. Goudreau accuses of failing to pay him.
Mr. Goudreau did not respond on Tuesday to requests for comment from The Associated Press.
On Tuesday, Mr. Guaido again said he had nothing to do with Mr. Goudreau, and that he had no relationship with Silvercorp, “for obvious and evident reasons, but we have to make that clear.”