Colombian authorities arrest three Venezuelans over plot to overthrow Maduro

Two of the men are brothers of the jailed commander of the failed 3 May coup

Mr Maduro accused Mr Trump of 'OKing' an attempt on his life (AP)

Police in Colombia have arrested three Venezuelans who were part of a failed plot organised by a former US Green Beret to sneak across the border and oust President Nicolas Maduro, the Associated Press has learned.

The three were arrested in simultaneous raids by heavily-armed security forces early on Wednesday in the capital of Bogota, a person in contact with the men at the time of their arrest told AP. The person, who insisted on anonymity to discuss the continuing investigation, said the three were picked up on charges of providing military training for illicit and “terrorist” activities, which carries a prison penalty of 20 to 30 years.

Two of the men, Major Juvenal Sequea and Captain Juven Sequea, are the older brothers of the confessed commander of the failed 3 May incursion, Captain Antonio Sequea, who is jailed in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas. The third, Rayder Ruso, is a civilian who has long sought Mr Maduro's armed overthrow.

All three lived for months in rustic camps along Colombia's Caribbean coast where Jordan Goudreau, an American war veteran, was helping organise a volunteer army for a rapid cross-border strike against Mr Maduro.

But the men deserted the ragtag effort, known as Operation Gideon, prior to the beach assault — one of them month before — viewing it as a suicide mission that lacked the necessary support from the US.

What was dubbed the “Bay of Piglets” — after the failed 1961 invasion of Cuba by anti-communist exiles — ended in a propaganda victory for Mr Maduro with the capture of dozens of would-be combatants, including two of Mr Goudreau's former special forces buddies, Luke Denman and Airan Berry, who quickly pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 20 years in prison.

“Donald Trump OK'd my murder, I am not exaggerating, and they are trying to send a group of snipers or hire snipers in Venezuela to kill me,” Mr Maduro said on Tuesday, recalling the bizarre attack.

The US-backed Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido was also linked to the plot when it was revealed that two of his aides in Miami signed last fall a 42-page contract with Mr Goudreau's Florida company, Silvercorp USA, to carry out regime change. The aides said they backed out of the deal before Christmas due to a mix of differences with Mr Goudreau and a change in strategy. They said no money changed hands except $50,000 (£37,590) to cover Mr Goudreau's initial expenses.

A full telling of the plot and what, if anything, US officials knew in advance has been elusive despite questions from Democrats in Congress angry over the raid.

There were media reports that a fourth person, Yacsy Alvarez, who served as Mr Goudreau's translator and assistant in Colombia, had also been arrested on Wednesday in Colombia for aiding the plot. AP was unable to confirm whether she had been arrested.

In January, Ms Alvarez flew with the three Americans from Miami to Colombia on a plane owned by her one-time boss, Franklin Duran, a wealthy businessman with a history of close ties to Mr Maduro's predecessor and mentor, the late Hugo Chavez. Mr Duran was arrested in May on charges connected to the plot, including treason, rebellion, conspiracy with a foreign government and arms trafficking and terrorism.

Ms Alvarez was also an associate of Mr Goudreau's would-be partner in arms, retired Venezuelan army General Cliver Alcala, who like Ms Alvarez had been living in Colombian city of Barranquilla after breaking with Mr Maduro and fleeing his homeland in 2018.

Mr Alcala surrendered to US authorities in March on unrelated drug charges, just a few days after Colombian police seized a cache of assault rifles, tactical helmets and night vision goggles that he said belonged to the rebel cadre that he and Mr Goudreau were readying to bring down Mr Maduro.

It was not clear if US officials played any role in Wednesday's arrests. But for months the FBI has been interviewing associates of Mr Goudreau as part of their own investigation into whether he violated US laws that require any US company supplying weapons or military equipment, as well as military training and advice, to foreign persons to seek State Department approval.

Mr Goudreau did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

AP