Venezuelan security forces have arrested at least eight people who they accuse of plotting a coup attempt to overthrow the government. Two Americans were reportedly arrested after a beach invasion aimed at capturing socialist President Nicolas Maduro. The plot allegedly involved the US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido.
Powerful socialist party leader Diosdado Cabello posted on his social media a video of a Venezuelan identified as Josnars Adolfo Baduel, who was also detained, saying two US citizens were among those detained.
Baduel is shown responding to a security official who asks him about the two Americans captured. Venezuelan state television broadcast the video but did not identify the Americans.
The two US citizens were captured on Monday in a second-day roundup of accomplices and were believed to be in the custody of Venezuelan military intelligence. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the details came from contacts with Venezuelan security forces.
A Florida-based ex-Green Beret, Jordan Goudreau, confirmed that he was working with the two men in a mission launched early on Sunday to "liberate" Venezuela.
Goudreau has claimed responsibility for Sunday's operation, which Venezuelan authorities say left eight people dead at a beach near the port city of La Guaira.
He identified the two former US veterans taken into Venezuelan custody as Luke Denman and Aaron Berry. The two served alongside him in Iraq and Afghanistan, Goudreau said.
Goudreau said the men were part of an alleged mission called "Operation Gideon".
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