Venezuela’s top prosecutor on Friday said that he has requested the detention and extradition of an American military veteran and two Venezuelan nationals that the country claims are associated with a botched coup attempt last weekend.
Chief Prosecutor Tarek Saab called for the detainment of American Jordan Goudreau, along with two opposition Venezuelan politicians, Miami-based political strategist Juan Rendon and exiled lawmaker Sergio Vergara, for their involvement in the “design, financing, and execution” of a plot to oust socialist President Nicolas Maduro, Reuters reported.
Mr. Goudreau, a former Green Beret and now the owner of a Melbourne, Fla.-based private security firm, told The Associated Press this week that he had worked with two American men in a mission that was launched before dawn Sunday to “liberate” Venezuela.
The two Americans involved have been identified as former Special Forces fighter Luke Denman and fellow former U.S. Special Forces fighter Airan Berry.
Top Trump administration officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Mr. Pompeo have asserted that the U.S. had no “direct involvement” in the overnight amphibious raid near Caracas that reportedly left eight people dead.
Mr. Pompeo told reporters at the State Department this week that, while U.S. officials have not confirmed that U.S. citizens were actually being detained by Venezuela, “any time there are Americans that are detained someplace, we’ll work to get them back.”
Mr. Maduro and his aides said they had little doubt who was behind the incident. The Trump administration has openly supported efforts to remove the socialist president and had recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s interim president.
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.
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