Ex-US Green Beret held over raid to oust Venezuela’s Maduro

A former member of the US Green Berets has been arrested over a failed 2020 raid to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the US justice department said.

Jordan Goudreau, 48, is charged with conspiracy and smuggling goods from the US for allegedly sending weapons, ammunition and other gear to Colombia without a US export licence.

Mr Goudreau was charged alongside fellow Florida resident, Yacsy Alvarez, 43.

Two other ex-Green Berets were sentenced in 2020 by a Venezuelan court to 20 years in prison for their part in the beach attack.

Prosecutors accuse Mr Goudreau and Ms Alvarez of exporting AR-style firearms, night-vision devices and other equipment from the US to Colombia to attempt the coup in Venezuela.

Prosecutors say the pair used Mr Goudreau’s private security firm, Silvercorp, to do so, though some of the items were seized by Colombian National Police.

Canada-born Mr Goudreau was being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, according to prison records.

A veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq and the recipient of three Bronze Star medals, he has previously said he organised the incursion of 3 May 2020.

Eight people were killed and more than 100 arrested in the botched coup, in which former Venezuelan troops attempted to travel by sea from Colombia to capture Maduro and overthrow his government.

The group had trained in makeshift camps before attempting the incursion, which was easily thwarted by Venezuela’s security forces.

Thirteen members of the group were immediately arrested, including the two US veterans.

Mr Goudreau and Ms Alvarez could face as many as 20 years in prison for the most severe charge, violation of export control laws.