Venezuela: 2 US 'mercenaries' arrested in anti-Maduro raid

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press


Scott Smith and Joshua Goodman, Associated Press
Updated 5:57 pm CDT, Monday, May 4, 2020

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan authorities say they’ve detained two U.S. citizens accused of involvement in a deadly beach invasion aimed at arresting socialist leader Nicolás Maduro and have mobilized more than 25,000 troops to hunt for other rebels operating in the country.

Venezuelan state television didn't identify the Americans, but Florida-based ex-Green Beret Jordan Goudreau said Monday that he was working with the two men in a mission launched a day earlier aimed at “liberating” Venezuela. Goudreau has claimed responsibility for Sunday's operation, which Venezuelan authorities say left eight people dead.

He identified two former U.S. veterans taken into Venezuelan custody as Luke Denman and Aaron Berry. The two served in Iraq and Afghanistan with him in the U.S. military, Goudreau said.

A Venezuelan also detained, identified as Josnars Adolfo Baduel, says in a video played on state TV that two U.S. citizens were among those nabbed. Baduel is shown speaking to a security force officer in a video posted on the Twitter account of powerful socialist party leader Diosdado Cabello.

Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/article/Opposition-leader-denies-ties-to-Venezuela-15245727.php

---

10th Special Forces Group veterans arrested for allegedly taking part in Venezuela coup plot. Luke Denman (ODA 0136) and Aaron Barry, went dark 8 days ago crossing the border. Worst part: CIA caught wind and tried to talk them out of it in Jamaica. Not a USG condoned op.

https://www.trendsmap.com/twitter/tweet/1257438010863489028

~ ~ ~



(AP Photo/Matias Delacroix). Security forces guard the shore area and a boat in which authorities claim a group of armed men landed in the port city of La Guaira, Venezuela, Sunday, May 3, 2020. Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said on state television...

[Judi Lynn]

1. Baduel's son: "The two Americans who were with us are Trump security personnel"

Last edited Mon May 4, 2020, 09:59 PM - Edit history (1)

Google translated from a Venezuelan source:


May 4, 2020

Diosdado Cabello published a video of the arrest of the son of General Raúl Baduel in which he declares that the two Americans who are detained are part of the security personnel of the President of the United States, Donald Trump.

«Here are his first statements where he voluntarily expresses himself. Imperialism is undoubtedly directing this terrorist attack against the Homeland, ”Cabello wrote on his account on the social network Twitter.

Josnars Adolfo Baduel is heard when he says that: «They are intermediaries as I said to Mr. Right now and they say that they work with the security advisory of the President of the United States. Who is the President of the United States? Donald Trump, explains Baduel Jr.

Twitter, video shows suspect being captured:

Link to tweet

?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1257412588046032898&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fapuntoenlinea.net%2F2020%2F05%2F04%2Fhijo-de-baduel-los-dos-norteamericanos-que-nos-acompanaban-son-personal-de-seguridad-de-trump%2F

https://apuntoenlinea.net/2020/05/04/hijo-de-baduel-los-dos-norteamericanos-que-nos-acompanaban-son-personal-de-seguridad-de-trump/




Found a photo of the man's father, General Raúl Baduel



Reminds one of former U.S. psychological operations
expert, General Edward Lansdale

[The Magistrate]

2. That Will Require Proof, Ma'am

And I would not in these circumstances consider confession proof at all.

[Judi Lynn]

5. True! Even the TV show, Mission Impossible, in the 1960's informed the leader

of the whatever-they-weres (played by Peter Graves) that if he were caught, the government would disavow all knowledge of his mission. Clearly, TV always tells us the truth, too.

That went through my mind as soon as I saw that statement.

We do know there is no standard Trump would not respect if he felt some dirty action might enhance his standing, or momentarily satisfy his feverish desire to triumph over anyone.

Not too sure where or how proof would be within reach.

[The Magistrate]

9. Some Documented Connection, Ma'am

With a security detail associated with a Trump property, or competent testimony to that effect, produced outside the reach of Venezuelan authorities would be satisfactory. I have little doubt the thing itself has some connection to either the U.S. intelligence services, or to some private party operating within the informal network of right-wing money that bubbles beneath the surface of government here and elsewhere. It is only the claim of personal connection I find difficult to accept. And it is true Maduro's government is in the habit of gilding lilies.

I enjoyed that show when young, and there were two episodes I wanted to see but never did. In one, everything would just go wrong, absolutely, ass-end up snafu wrong, so the big guy would have to hit somebody with an axe, and at the end he whole crew would be hightailing it to the border in a stolen truck. The other would be quite short. The tape would give its spiel about returning the crown jewels to young prince while discrediting the regent and the chief of police (or whatever convoluted intricacy it might be), and after 'Good luck, Jim', the cut would be up to Peter Graves's face, mouth level, just shaking his head slowly no, and turning to walk away from the phone booth as the tape goes smoky....

[Judi Lynn]

10. What a tragedy the writers couldn't envision those two story lines, they would have been wonderful.

Would it be too juvenile to outfit the truck with a Confederate War Flag, or a bad muffler? I wonder if Martin Landau and Barbara Bain would allow it! It could have been the big guy was just hanging by a thread throughout the series, you never know.

Peter Graves always did seem too compliant, and certain. Adding your idea would be great for shaking things up a little. They could show "bloopers" for the remainder of the hour.

Too bad they ended it without using some more imaginative plots, instead of dragging in younger actors who had little talent, whose ineptness brought down the quality of the program.

There just might be someone who will pass on those ideas to someone to use in the future.

[The Magistrate]

16. This Link, Ma'am, From Mr. Volestrangler, Is Quite Sufficient

https://apnews.com/79346b4e428676424c0e5669c80fc310

According to White, Goudreau came back from the concert looking to capitalize on the Trump administration’s growing interest in toppling Maduro.

He had been introduced to Keith Schiller, President Donald Trump’s longtime bodyguard, through someone who worked in private security. Schiller attended a March 2019 event at the University Club in Washington for potential donors with activist Lester Toledo, then Guaidó’s coordinator for the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Last May, Goudreau accompanied Schiller to a meeting in Miami with representatives of Guaidó. There was a lively discussion with Schiller about the need to beef up security for Guaidó and his growing team of advisers inside Venezuela and across the world, according to a person familiar with the meeting. Schiller thought Goudreau was naive and in over his head. He cut off all contact following the meeting, said a person close to the former White House official.

This establishes sufficient proximity to the 'inner circle' to allow that the claim is not made out of whole cloth. Clearly it is amateur hour, but amateur slap-dash seems a trademark of the current regime here.


"Play stupid games, win stupid prizes."

[Judi Lynn]

3. The suspect, caught with the US mercenaries, son of Gen. Baduel, who tried to overthrow Chavez!

From Wikipedia, an excerpt describing this suspect's dad, a right-wing General who was part of the coup against Hugo Chavez in 2002, the coup being overthrown by the people of Venezuela who surrounded the President's building and demanded he be set free immediately. General Baduel continued to plot against Hugo Chavez continually, and after Chavez died, worked to overthrow Maduro. Baduel is connected directly to the right-wing oligarchs who controlled Venezuela until Hugo Chavez took office in February 1999.

~ ~ ~

Wikipedia:

2002 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt

. . .

Opposition
Details surrounding a potential coup were openly discussed in the Venezuela for months before the attempted ousting.[27] "The rumors of a coup to oust Chávez", noted The Miami Herald, "were being whispered, if not shouted, for months before the revolt".[18] Writing about the run-up to the coup, Letta Tayler of Newsweek observed that "[o]ne of the few certainties" about it was "that military, business, union and civic leaders had been plotting Chávez's downfall for nearly two years".[19] According to former United States Ambassador to Venezuela, Charles S. Shapiro, the United States had known about a potential coup since late 2001 and that weeks before the coup, he had attempted to dissuade Venezuelan trade union organization from participating, saying the United States would not support such actions and would only accept the change of government by electoral means.[27] On the evening of 11 April, with the coup in full swing, one coup plotter, Colonel Julio Rodriguez Salas, told television viewers that the coup had been long planned: "Nine months ago a movement started to organise itself more firmly, a serious movement, and fortunately it has come to fruition today."[54]

The Guardian reported that as early as 18 March 2002 that "Chávez was saying that he was aware of a plot" to overthrow him, and that in the days before 11 April, "the political temperature was approaching boiling point", with oil workers striking "in protest at Chávez's appointments to their board" and the media accelerating its criticisms of the regime.[55] The Chicago Tribune reported that there had been rumors in Caracas "for weeks" about a coup, with military figures like Navy Vice Adm. Carlos Molina and Air Force Col. Pedro Soto "building support ... in the armed forces" for a coup.[51] Hernandez claimed that in early April, "the coming coup ... was an open secret".[56] On April 9, retired Gen. Manuel Andara Clavier, one of many retired military officials who opposed Chávez, reportedly told her, "The table is set. ... Everything is set for the military to let the president know he can't push this country to spill blood."[56] Shortly before the coup attempt, Alí Rodríguez Araque, a former guerrilla and Chávez ally then serving in Vienna as the General Secretary of OPEC, allegedly heard of a potential oil embargo against the United States by Iraq and Libya, over US support for Israel. More importantly, he heard that "the United States was planning to prod a coup into action in Venezuela to head off any threat of embargo".[57] Rodríguez Araque's warning led Chávez to declare that he would not join such an embargo, and to secretly hide several hundred troops in Miraflores' underground corridors, commanded by José Baduel.[57]

More:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Venezuelan_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat_attempt

[oldsoftie]

4. Yes, I'm sure thats accurate.

Ne'er do wells looking for an adventure.

[Judi Lynn]

7. I think you are close to something.

They are probably terrified they couldn't make it in the real world, afraid life would simply swallow them up, that they actually would disappear without a trace into the suburbs, with a large mortgage, etc.

[docgee]

12. It's actually totally believable!

[rockfordfile]

6. A group of idiots

[mr_lebowski]

8. Trump's munted shitshow of dumbfuckery strikes again ...

I expect he'll soon be demanding that our 'brave soldiers' be released, elsewise we're invading for reals (it'll be the greatest invasion since Normandy, believe me)

Don't we already have the ships positioned?

[Judi Lynn]

11. Oh, for sure, Mr. Lebowski!He start involving the Fourth Fleet in "exercises" off Venezuela's coast.

George W. Bush brought the Fourth Fleet out of storage during his attempt to start harassing Hugo Chavez, during the time Latin America was electing progressive Presidents everywhere, in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela, El Salvador, Honduras, Ecuador, Uruguay, Domican Republic, etc.

Just several weeks ago it was publicized that Trump has US Navy and Colombian ships plying the Caribbean, along with several other countries, pretending to do "naval exercises" as he does with China.

Whole lot of truculence from Trump. He HAS been threatening Venezuela and Cuba from the first. That's a big treat (and votes) for the power mad right-wingers in Florida and generally throughout the Republican fringe.

[Judi Lynn]

13. Diosdado Cabello: Cliver Alcala's Chief Mercenary Taken Down and DEA Venezuelan Asset Captured . . .

Diosdado Cabello: Cliver Alcala’s Chief Mercenary Taken Down and DEA Venezuelan Asset Captured in US Led Mercenary Attack (Images and Video)
May 3, 2020


The president of the National Constituent Assembly of Venezuela, Diosdado Cabello, confirmed this Sunday that Robert Colina, alias Pantera, was one of the 8 people killed this Sunday in an attempt to enter Venezuelan territory through the city of La Guaira, to generate terrorist actions in the country aiming at a coup. Two people are captured. A large batch of military weapons was seized and vehicles were found ready in La Guaira to carry out actions against institutions and persons.

In the early hours of Sunday, a US led sea mercenary attack was neutralized by the Venezuelan army in the central coastal area of La Guaira State (Macuto) resulting in eight mercenaries killed and two captured. An important military arsenal was also seized during the operation and air-land-sea operations are still being carried out in order to capture any other mercenary on the run.

In statements from the Federal Legislative Palace, Cabelló indicated that, in addition to Robert Colina, a person with the surname Querales Sequera was identified, “presumably a family member of three of the mercenaries in this group,” referring to Antonio, Juvenal and Juven Sequera Torres , participants in the coup attempt on April 30. In addition, he announced that one of the detainees “is a drug trafficker, a DEA agent, according to her own confession, corroborated with operations she carried out.”

Cabello pointed out that it is presumed that they are not the only ones who came in the operation. He indicated that there was a confrontation and “we do not know if there were people who sank or tried to swim to another place. One of the detainees was captured doing this.”

More:
https://orinocotribune.com/diosdado-cabello-cliver-alcalas-chief-mercenary-taken-down-and-dea-venezuelan-asset-captured-in-us-led-mercenary-attack-images-and-video/?fbclid=IwAR2qA8gJJXuBWqckn2YUmRt2lwyojdbpsOCJ8hLuFMWHIWvah7kvM15FObI

[Judi Lynn]

14. New Details Emerge Linking US to Latest Coup Attempt in Venezuela

There is strong evidence to suggest that both Juan Guaidó and the U.S. government were intimately involved in a botched weekend insurrection.

by Alan Macleod
May 04th, 2020

The government of Venezuela is celebrating after thwarting another foreign-backed coup attempt Sunday, just two days after self-declared another coup attempt by “Interim President” Juan Guaidó ended in total failure. A flotilla of small speed boats filled with up to 300 paramilitary units, sailed from their training ground in Colombia heading for a port near the country’s capital Caracas, from where they were aiming to kickstart an insurrection. They confidently predicted they would be in the Miraflores presidential palace within 96 hours. However, the mission went spectacularly wrong almost immediately, as they were intercepted by the Venezuelan Navy, who reportedly killed at least eight in the fighting at sea, capturing many others.

Interior Minister Nestor Reverol appeared on television to inform the public that in the early hours of Sunday, “A maritime invasion was attempted by a group of terrorist mercenaries coming from Colombia with the intent of committing acts of terrorism in the country, assassinating leaders of the revolutionary government, increase the spiral of violence, generate chaos and confusion among the public, and from that, spark a new attempt at a coup d’etat.” Reverol praised the quick response of the armed forces and police in repelling the invasion. “It would seem that the foiled imperialists’ attempts to overthrow the legitimately constituted government led by Nicolas Maduro has pushed them to formulate excessive actions that, without any doubt, deserve the forceful repudiation of our people and the international community,” he concluded.

. . .

It should also be understood that Goudreau is not a whistleblower. Far from it; he is proud of his actions, despite their failure. “Nothing I’m doing is illegal,” he dubiously asserted, “There are other people in the country who are ready to flip. They just need a catalyst,” he added, just as questionably. His social media accounts show him to be a strong supporter of President Trump and the “Make America Great Again” Movement. The only reason he produced the documents, he revealed, is that Guaidó stiffed him for the money, refusing to pay even a $1.5 million retainer fee. “They kept promising to pay, week after week,” he revealed in an interview with a Spanish-language TV station. This sort of behavior is perhaps not unexpected coming from a politician who promised Mike Pence that he controlled half the Venezuelan military and is widely accused of embezzling over $90 million of U.S. public money. A December poll found him to have a favorability rating of 10 percent and an unfavorability rating of 69 percent. That was before he was removed by his allies from his role of head of the Venezuelan National Assembly and even removed as a member of his own party.

Goudreau’s company, Silvercorp, is a private entity, but could not do what it does across Latin America without the aid of the United States. In recent decades, the practice of regime change has been outsourced from the government itself to semi-private corporations, giving the White House some form of plausible deniability to its operations. National Endowment for Democracy founder Allen Weinstein helpfully explained to The Washington Post what his organization’s role was: “A lot of what we do today was done covertly 25 years ago by the CIA,” he said. However, when it comes to Venezuela, the U.S. has been far from successful.

. . .

. . . What a strange dictatorship Venezuela is, where world-renowned pro-democracy activists can wage decade-long campaigns of terrorism, assassinations and coups, free to travel the country and the world promoting their cause with virtually no consequences from the tyrannical government.

https://www.mintpressnews.com/new-details-latest-us-hatched-coup-attempt-venezuela/267224/?fbclid=IwAR37gxBcCXj5Qq9wkpZSpP7W3ZaifKXfJucj_2s_0Eyrmcpbr9JGwGcwE1o

[Archae]

20. I figured this source to be iffy at best, turns out I was dead right.

Article about David Icke, (yes, the nutcase,) being "censored."
Yeah, it's "censorship" to call a nutcase, just that.

https://www.mintpressnews.com/technofascism-david-icke-digital-book-burning-totalitarian-age/267246/

More about Icke here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Icke

[Dopers_Greed]

15. Wow, Trump has his own Katrina AND Bay of Pigs in the same season

Heckuva job Orangie

[stillcool]

17. in these days of private multi-national military corporations..

how do they know who's doing what?

[greenjar_01]

18. Maduro rolling up to the Presidential Palace like

[roamer65]

19. May they enjoy their time in a Venezuelan prison.

Let them rot.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

21. Posted on the video forum

&t=0s

[Judi Lynn]

22. Thanks for bringing that video to this thread. Unexpected voice, adds food for thought. n/t