CARACAS (Reuters) – A previous U.S. soldier captured in Venezuela said on Wednesday that he had actually been contracted by a Florida security company to take control of Caracas’ airport and bring in an airplane to fly President Nicolas Maduro to the United States.
Venezuelan authorities on Monday jailed the male, Luke Denman, together with fellow U.S. resident Airan Berry and 11 others, in what Maduro has called a failed plot coordinated with Washington to oust him.
Throughout questioning broadcast on state television, Denman said the company, Silvercorp U.S.A., had signed an agreement with Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido to look for Maduro’s removal. A Guaido consultant informed CNN on Wednesday that he had actually signed an exploratory agreement, but it had never ever been settled and the opposition did not support the tried incursion.
U.S. President Donald Trump has actually rejected participation. A senior Trump administration official stated Maduro’s accusations of a U.S. function “are not reputable” and the administration stayed focused on “attaining a tranquil, democratic transition in Venezuela.”
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday that the U.S. government would utilize “every tool” to secure the Americans’ return, if they were being held in Venezuela.
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