Trump denies ties to Venezuelan attack with 2 US men jailed
Published:Tuesday | May 5, 2020 | 3:55 PM
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States had nothing to do with an alleged incursion into Venezuela that landed two US citizens behind bars in the crisis-stricken South American nation.
Trump said he had just learned of the detention of the pair, accused by Venezuela of being mercenaries.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said they were part of an operation to kill him that was backed by neighbouring Colombia and the United States.
“Whatever it is, we’ll let you know,” Trump told reporters in Washington before departing from the White House to Arizona. “But it has nothing to do with our government.”
Authorities in Venezuela identified the two men as Luke Denman and Airan Berry, both former US special forces soldiers associated with the Florida-based private security firm Silvercorp USA.
A third US 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 that six suspected attackers were killed, giving a revised figure from the eight previously reported.
The two ex-US soldiers were detained Monday dozens of miles (kilometres) from the first attempted beach landing in the fishing village of Chuao. Authorities say they’ve confiscated equipment.
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