Federal authorities have arrested a former Green Beret in New York who they say helped plot a coup against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on arms smuggling charges, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.
Jordan Goudreau, a 48-year-old former Green Beret, is suspected of trying to lead a cross-border raid by Venezuelan army defectors to oust Maduro from power in 2020, according to the Associated Press. report.
He reportedly Claimed He said he led the operation in an interview with a Venezuelan exile in 2020. An Associated Press investigation alleged that the former Green Beret worked with a retired Venezuelan general to train Venezuelan defectors in Colombia, who reportedly planned to attack and capture Maduro, the investigation alleges. (Related: Venezuela breaks off diplomatic relations with multiple countries over election protests)
In January, former Green Beret Jordan Goudreau flew to Colombia to train rebels planning to attack Venezuela. To get there, Goudreau took a chartered plane owned by a businessman who was one of Hugo Chavez's staunchest allies. https://t.co/8Jsi1Saxv2
— Associated Press (@AP) May 28, 2020
According to an indictment reported by the Associated Press, federal prosecutors based in Tampa, Florida, accused Goudreau and his Venezuelan partner, Yaxi Alvarez, of violating federal arms control laws by collecting and transporting military supplies to carry out the plot. Prosecutors alleged that text messages between the suspects discussed purchasing and exporting military equipment for the plot, according to the news agency.
Goudreau's plan ended with Venezuelan security forces defeating the group, according to the Associated Press. The agency noted that Venezuelan intelligence had deeply infiltrated the group. Goudreau's two former Green Berets were sent to prison and then released in 2023 in a prisoner swap with Maduro supporters, the agency reported.
Another of Goudreau's associates, retired Venezuelan general Krivel Alcala, was sentenced by a U.S. court in early 2024 to more than 20 years in prison for supplying weapons to rebels with ties to drug cartels, the media reported. Goudreau attended Alcala's trial but declined to comment to The Associated Press about the attempted coup. Goudreau's lawyer, Gustavo J. Garcia Montes, told The Associated Press that his client is innocent.
Alvarez's lawyer, Christopher A. Carr, told the outlet that his client is “seeking asylum in the United States and living peacefully with the rest of his family, including U.S. citizens.”
“Alvarez will be pleading not guilty to these charges this afternoon, and at this point, under our system, they are merely allegations,” Carr reportedly added.
The Justice Department has not yet responded to The Daily Caller's request for comment.
