Source: venezuelanalysis.com /  Two former US soldiers were captured in a failed paramilitary incursion on Monday. (VTV)

By Gary Raynaldo       DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

Two U.S. mercenaries were arrested in Venezuela after an alleged coup attempt in the Latin American country. The Venezuelan government said this week it foiled an armed incursion from the sea, killing a group of alleged mercenaries who sought to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro and spark a coup. Two U.S. former special forces soldiers were arrested in Venezuela for allegedly being involved in the failed plot.  Film footage showed  Luke Denman, 34, and Airan Berry, 41, being led from a fishing boat alongside six Venezuelan mercenaries and being forced to lie on the ground at gunpoint. According  to the Daily Mail, the coup was coordinated by an ex-Green Beret named Jordan Goudreau, 43, who says the objective was to capture Maduro. Goudreau claims to have built a force of 300 men, reportedly backed by US billionaires.  President Trump  denied any knowledge of the bizarre failed coup.  

“There was no U.S. Government direct involvement in this operation. If we had been involved, it would have gone differently.  As for who bankrolled it, we’re not prepared to share any more information about what we know took place.  We’ll unpack that at an appropriate time. 

-U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters in a Wednesday briefing. 

President Maduro called the arrested men ‘terrorist mercenaries’ and blamed the attacks on the Trump administration.

Venezuelan TV airs ‘confession’ of ex-US special forces soldier after coup attempt – NY Post. A former US special forces soldier said in what was described as a videotaped confession aired on Venezuelan TV Wednesday that he was promised up to $100,000 to lead a mercenary army in a wild raid to oust the country’s president, Nicolas Maduro.

Pompeo Said U.S. Will Seek a “path forward” in obtaining Denman and Berry’s release

“It’s a consular matter in the sense of any time there are Americans that are detained someplace, we’ll work to get them back.  We will start the process of trying to figure a way if in fact these are Americans that are there, that we can figure a path forward.  We want to get every American back.  If the Maduro regime decides to hold them, we’ll use every tool that we have available to try and get them back.  It’s our responsibility to do so.”

  U.S. Indicts Venezuela’s President Maduro on Drug Trafficking Charges-Offers $15 Million Bounty

In  March, the U.S. State Department announced  it is offering rewards up  to $15 million for information leading to the arrest of Venezuela President  Maduro for alleged involvement in narcotics trafficking. The Justice Department Thursday unsealed criminal charges against Maduro and other high ranking members of his government in connection with alleged narco-terrorism and drug smuggling into the United States.  The Maduro government has denied the U.S. allegations on narco-trafficking