Two ex-Green Berets sentenced to 20 years for Venezuela attack

Remember the saying: "Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones" ?

The Americans have been widely displayed on Venezuelan national TV as proof of US intentions to overthrow the president.

Interfering in other countries affairs much?

A Venezuelan court has sentenced two former United States Army Special Forces soldiers - Green Berets - to 20 years in prison for their part in a failed beach attack aimed at overthrowing President Nicolas Maduro.

Former soldiers Luke Denman and Airan Berry admitted to taking part in the May 4 operation orchestrated by a third ex-US soldier who remains in the US, Venezuelan's chief prosecutor Tarek William Saab announced on Twitter late on Friday.

"They admitted their responsibility for the facts," Saab wrote, adding the case will continue for dozens of other defendants. He did not offer details.

"Operation Gideon" was launched from makeshift training camps in neighbouring Colombia and left at least eight rebel soldiers dead while a total of 66 were jailed. Former Green Beret Jordan Goudreau, who operated a private, Florida-based security firm called Silvercorp USA, claimed responsibility for the failed coup d'etat.

link

Of course, US officials will blame this on.. hmm lets see now... any ideas?

originally posted by: kloejen

Of course, US officials will blame this on.. hmm lets see now... any ideas?

Mercenaries. Soldiers of Fortune working for a Blackwater clone. Not affiliated with any US goverenment operation. Think differently? Prove it.

a reply to: kloejen

Should we blame Saudi Arabia for the 911 attack?
15 of them were Saudis...

a reply to: schuyler

Maybe you missed the congress hearing?

---snip---
But in some ways, the true focus is on the State Department, which hired Blackwater to protect U.S. diplomats and visiting congressional delegations in Baghdad and elsewhere.

Waxman blasted the State Department as a Blackwater "enabler" by failing to provide sufficient oversight of the contract. Blackwater's operations in Iraq are directed and coordinated by the U.S. Embassy's security officer.

Erik Prince, Blackwater's chief executive officer, appeared before the committee to make his most public defense yet of his company's record, pointing out that it operates in a particularly hostile environment.

Blackwater / Academi is deeply involved with the US military (secret mission or not).

Congress Probes Blackwater

I'm not sure if this is the same situation, but when this happened, didn't it seem poorly planned and almost seemed like they were suppose to fail?

From doing it in the day, little pre-mission recon, to almost novice like coordination.

If so, seems like they got their scapegoats and global defamation.

If not the same situation, disregard.

This was not sanctioned. Whoever those former SF dudes are they must have been the runts of selection.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: kloejen

Should we blame Saudi Arabia for the 911 attack?
15 of them were Saudis...

It would make more sense than invading Afghanistan and Iraq?

a reply to: kloejen

I agree on Iraq and disagree on Afghanistan.

Regardless we don't need to be stirring the pot in either of those #holes.

According to this news article, it was a company named Silvercorp USA (Jordan Goudreau)

A former US soldier captured in Venezuela has said he was contracted by a Florida security firm to seize control of Caracas's airport and bring in a plane to fly Maduro to the US. According to a document published by the Washington Post on Thursday, members of the country's opposition parties negotiated a $213m deal with the company, Silvercorp USA, to invade the country and overthrow Maduro.

link

WIKI: Silvercorp

Of course.. the US military had nothing to do with this... (yea right!)

originally posted by: kloejen
a reply to: schuyler

Maybe you missed the congress hearing?

Maybe you missed what I said: Blackwater CLONE. In other words, a private company that hires mercenaries. Besides which, the US Government is not the only Blackwater customer.

a reply to: kloejen

They didn't.

Green Berets retire or simply end their contracts same as any other service member.

A corporation like Silvercorp is going to hire operators. People aren't competent, intelligent, or effective operators just because that person was in the Special Forces pipeline.

Plenty of airbags make it through. No filtration system is perfect.

Also, Silvercorp is clearly running a racket. You're not going to take Caracas airport with a handful of locals and 2 dumb# former operators. You're going to need air power, armor, a god dang army, and the money to facilitate the logistics of your invasion, occupation, and exit.

Then there's the promise that this company could somehow and magically spirit Maduro away to the United States while this freakin miracle was occurring at the airport. This whole thing sounds like a racket rather than a serious plot. I wouldn't buy a single word of this story.

a reply to: projectvxn

I tend to agree. Extremely poorly planned. But try to reverse it

The Venezuelans have been widely displayed on American national TV as proof of Venezuelan intentions to overthrow the president.

Would that cause an outcry?

No wonder Venezuela wants answers.

originally posted by: schuyler

originally posted by: kloejen

Of course, US officials will blame this on.. hmm lets see now... any ideas?

Mercenaries. Soldiers of Fortune working for a Blackwater clone. Not affiliated with any US goverenment operation. Think differently? Prove it.

While you are totally correct, I wonder who looks after the families of these mercenaries in such an occasion. Off books is off radar.

originally posted by: network dude

originally posted by: schuyler

originally posted by: kloejen

Of course, US officials will blame this on.. hmm lets see now... any ideas?

Mercenaries. Soldiers of Fortune working for a Blackwater clone. Not affiliated with any US goverenment operation. Think differently? Prove it.

While you are totally correct, I wonder who looks after the families of these mercenaries in such an occasion. Off books is off radar.

Their wives, sisters, mothers.. hell, man, a multitude of people who are probably just as lethal as their deployed/sanctioned/ hired loved ones. (Contractors).

You may be surprised just how many of those gentleman and ladies are there saving lives. Just being experienced and familiar with the locals and customs of the area.

Good.

It was a truly bonehead move. Sort of Olly North, but dumber.

originally posted by: Phage
Good.

It was a truly bonehead move. Sort of Olly North, but dumber.

Yeah, they were rather stupid. Did they really think they were going to successfully sow the seeds for a Castro/Guevara style guerrilla revolution?

Except against a red government with blue guerrillas or whatever. You get the analogy.

yep normal average USA behaviour ...


a reply to: Phage

a reply to: Notoneofyou

not on that level. I work with some groups that support fallen special forces soldiers families. There is a large behind the scenes effort to help these people. I just wondered who does that for the families of Mercenaries, who used to be the same guys, just no longer active duty. Especially when it looks like they were sent to fail. Non sanctioned doesn't mean expendable.

Nobody cares about the average Venezuelan. Who would gain from Maduro dying? The U.S. certainly wants maduro out and don't believe the u.s. media propaganda for a second that it's because of a humanitarian crisis.

The u.s. has had it out for Maduro for awhile.

a reply to: network dude

They could refuse to accept assignments to overthrow an elected official from another country.

It's hard to feel bad for the soldiers that do the bidding of insidious politicians and corporations. They're not fighting to protect Americans..