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.
Luke Denman, 34, who was taken into custody during the botched attack, said he was recruited for the coup attempt in December by controversial ex-Green Beret Jordan Goudreau to train dozens of combatants and secure a Caracas airport so that Maduro could be returned to the US.
Asked who commanded “Jordan,” Denman answered, “President Donald Trump.”
“I was helping Venezuelans take back control of their country,” Denman said on the video. “Securing the sector, establishing outer security, communication with the tower, bringing in planes, one of which includes one to put Maduro on and take him back to the United States.”
Asked what his objective was, he said, “The only instructions that I received from Jordan was to ensure that we took control of an airport for safe passage for Maduro and the receiving of arms.”
Maduro, who introduced the video on Venezuela’s teleSUR-TV news network, hailed it as a smoking gun to prove the White House was behind the raid.
“This is the first public declaration given by this captured North American marine,” he said.
Trump said this week the US played no role in the attack.
“I just got information on that,” the president told reporters Tuesday. “We just heard about it. But whatever it is, we’ll let you know. But it has nothing to do with our government.”
A senior administration official told The Post Wednesday that Maduro’s claim of US involvement in the raid was “comical.”
“As President Trump, (Defense) Secretary (Mark) Esper, and Secretary (of State Mike) Pompeo have said, the United States government was not involved in the recent events alleged in Venezuela,” the official said.
“Assertions to the contrary are not credible, and in fact, they are almost comical,” he said. “A US operation would have looked much different.”
Denman and another former Special Forces member, Airan Berry, 41, were taken into custody at gunpoint after the failed assault on the coastal city of La Guaira.
Goudreau has taken credit of setting up the failed assault.
Denman and Berry fought together in Afghanistan and Iran, according to an investigative report of the operation published by The Associated Press on Friday.
According to the video, Denman, of Austin, Texas, flew to Colombia with Berry on Jan. 16 to begin training as many as 60 mercenaries. He said they were driven to Riohacha, a city in northern Colombia, and stayed in two safe houses during the planning.
He said he was recruited to train the small squad in “planning, mission planning and tactical work inside buildings.”
Denman, who said he spent five years in Special Forces, later left the military and went into private security, “known in some places as mercenary work.”
World - Latest - Google News
May 07, 2020 at 04:23AM
https://ift.tt/2zkU5kg
Venezuelan TV airs 'confession' of ex-US Special Forces soldier after coup attempt - New York Post
World - Latest - Google News
https://ift.tt/2SeTG7d
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Venezuelan TV airs 'confession' of ex-US Special Forces soldier after coup attempt - New York Post"
Post a Comment