Venezuelan state TV broadcasts captured American
Venezuelan state TV broadcasts captured American
Venezuelan state television broadcast on Wednesday a video of captured American Luke Denman, in which he said he was instructed to seize control of Caracas' airport and bring in a plane to fly President Nicolas Maduro to the United States.
Gavino Garay has more.
Venezuelan State TV broadcast video on Wednesday it says shows American citizen Luke Denman, saying he was instructed to seize control of Caracas' airport and bring in a plane to fly President Nicolas Maduro to the United States.
Venezuelan authorities say he, another American, and 11 others were captured during what they described as a failed armed incursion on Monday.
President Maduro has described Denman as one of two "mercenaries" working on behalf of the U.S. government in a plot to oust him.
"Donald Trump, Mike Pompeo were directly behind this.
It was a contract ordered by the State Department as a covert operation against Venezuela." U.S. President Donald Trump has denied involvement.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday that the U.S. government would use "every tool" to secure the Americans return, if they were being held in Venezuela.
After Denman's televised statement, a U.S. State Department spokesman, reiterated that the U.S. government had nothing to do with the incident, but declined comment on Denman's claims. In March, the U.S. Department of Justice charged Maduro and a dozen other current and former Venezuelan officials with "narco-terrorism" and the Trump administration offered a reward of $15 million for information leading to his arrest.
Venezuelan authorities said they arrested Denman and the others near an isolated coastal town about 40 miles west of Caracas' airport, after locals raised suspicions.
