Operation Gideon (2020)

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Operation Gideon
Part of the Crisis in Venezuela and the Venezuelan presidential crisis

Top to bottom:
Venezuelan authorities intercepting a boat; Venezuelan soldiers patrolling the coast; Mercenaries being arrested by the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN)
Date3–4 May 2020
Location
Venezuela
Result

Primary objective failed

  • Government begins Bolivarian Shield military response
Belligerents

 Venezuela

Silvercorp USA

  • Venezuelan dissidents
Commanders and leaders

Nicolás Maduro

Jordan Goudreau

Strength
25,000[1] 300[2]
Casualties and losses
Unknown
Crisis in Venezuela
Causes
Effects
Events
Elections
Protests
Timeline
Armed violence
flag Venezuela portal

The La Guaira naval attack on 3 to 4 May 2020, also called Operation Gideon (Spanish: Operación Gedeón), was an attempt by armed Venezuelan dissident groups and a private US-based security force to infiltrate Venezuela at the coastal state of La Guaira, launched from Colombia. The groups planned to train Venezuelans to overthrow the government of Nicolás Maduro.

The first wave of attack saw six dissident Venezuelans killed, with several more captured; the second wave was intercepted by the Venezuelan national armed forces. Though the attack command says their land forces are still operating inside Venezuela, the military began an operation using 25,000 soldiers to prevent further threat from the group.

Planning

Operation Gideon was primarily planned by Jordan Goudreau, a Canadian-born[5] former U.S. Green Beret and former Canadian Armed Forces member,[6] and former Venezuelan Major General Clíver Alcalá Cordones.

Alcalá was a Major General of the Venezuelan Army who was sanctioned by the United States Department of the Treasury in September 2011 for allegedly helping FARC obtain weapons and smuggle drugs.[7][8] He defected from Venezuela in 2013 and began gathering other soldiers who defected into Colombia, stationing them in the La Guajira Peninsula of Colombia.[2]

Goudreau is a Canadian-born American[5] former U.S. Green Beret and former Canadian Armed Forces member.[6] He served in the Canadian Armed Forces while attending the University of Calgary from 1994 to 1998, where he studied computer science.[9] He later moved to Washington, D.C. and enlisted in the United States Army a few months prior to the September 11 attacks in New York City, eventually reaching the rank of Sergeant first class in the 10th Special Forces Group.[9] He later became a naturalized US citizen and retired at the age of 40 due to injuries.[9] Gideon would eventually found Silvercorp USA, a private security firm.[10]

Equipment and support

In February 2019, Silvercorp provided security services at Venezuela Aid Live, resulting in Goudreau turning his attention to Venezuela.[10] Former United States Navy SEAL operative Ephraim Mattos met with Alcalá's troops while working in Colombia and was presented with a document created by Goudreau on 16 June 2019, listing operations equipment they would use: "320 M4 assault rifles, an anti-tank rocket launcher, Zodiac boats, US$1 million in cash and state-of-the-art night vision goggles."[2]

Goudreau claimed that he met with Venezuelan opposition officials aligned with Juan Guaidó, offering to train an elite force to help him overthrow Nicolás Maduro, but according to the Associated Press (AP) Guaidó eventually turned down his proposals, with the two cutting communication in November 2019.[2][11] The Colombian government had also reportedly condemned actions performed by Goudreau's forces and refused to aid his cause.[2]

Alcalá approached Goudreau after the latter was turned down by Guaidó; Alcalá requested for Goudreau's team to train the 300 Venezuelan troops he had in Colombia. According to the AP, Goudreau and Alcalá distanced themselves from the Venezuelan opposition due to "closed-door deal making with the [Maduro] regime".[2] By December 2019, Silvercorp had purchased a 41 feet (12 m) fiberglass boat in Florida that was later equipped with navigation equipment in February 2020.[11]

Goudreau and Alcalá did not receive support necessary for a successful operation, however, without aid from the United States government.[11] Speaking after the attack, Goudreau claimed that he had to raise funds through donations from Venezuelan migrants in Colombia.[12]

Alcalá incident and extradition

A shipment of weapons and tactical gear was captured on 23 March 2020 by Colombian authorities notified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), with former DEA officials initially believing that the equipment was being sent to leftist guerillas.[2][11] The truck was destined towards Venezuelan attempting to ship 26 semi-automatic rifles, night vision goggles, radios and 15 helmets produced by High-End Defense Solutions, a Venezuelan-American company.[2][13]

On 26 March 2020, Alcalá assumed responsibility for "a military operation against the Maduro dictatorship" that included the shipment of weapons captured in Colombia, stating that the United States, Colombia and Guaidó officials had signed an agreement to support their efforts to overthrow Maduro.[14] Guaidó denied knowledge of the event while United States Special Representative to Venezuela Elliott Abrams described Alcalá's statement as "despicable and quite dangerous".[14] Alcalá was subsequently extradited to the United States for unrelated drug trafficking charges as part of the Maduro government.[15] Abrams later said that Alcalá "was put up to making those terrible charges by the [Maduro] regime".[14]

Caribbean Sea incidents

In March 2020, Goudreau travelled to Jamaica in the Silvercorp-owned fiberglass boat where he met with former special forces friends discussing Operation Gideon.[11]

On 28 March as Goudreau was preparing the attack, the fiberglass boat was damaged and a emergency position-indicating radio beacon was triggered.[11] Authorities in Curaçao rescued Goudreau and returned him to Florida, with travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic preventing Goudreau from traveling again.[11]

Two days after Goudreau was rescued by Curaçao, the Venezuelan patrol boat Naiguatá sank after engaging and colliding with the RCGS Resolute cruise ship on 30 March.[16] Venezuela alleged that the Portuguese-flagged RCGS Resolute was carrying mercenaries for attacking the country's military bases and that the ship's inflatable Zodiac boats were intended to transport them to shore.[17] Head of the Strategic Command Operations of Venezuela Remigio Ceballos stated in an interview with Al Mayadeen on 12 April 2020 that the RCGS Resolute attempted to "plant mercenaries" in Venezuela while the Venezuelan government's Misión Verdad would write in May 2020 that the RCGS Resolute incident was possibly linked to United States operations in Curaçao and Aruba and the attack.[18][neutrality is disputed] When discussing the attack, Caracas Chronicles wrote that the RCGS Resolute incident "shows how tense the Venezuelan Navy has been around the idea of a maritime armed incursion".[19]

Associated Press article

The AP published an article about Goudreau, his plan and its history, and his training camps on 1 May 2020, writing that the plans to attack Venezuela were "far-fetched" and that people who knew him believed he was "in way over his head".[20] Bellingcat suggested that the Venezuelan government may have known of the plan since late March 2020, but certainly knew by 1 May.[20] Maduro confirmed that they knew all of the plan by the evening of 1 May, and said that it had been initially planned for 10 March, but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[21] By the time of the attack, many of the mercenary soldiers had abandoned their camps, following the arrest of Alcalá, investigations by Colombian authorities, and the growing pandemic.[2] It has been suggested that Goudreau went ahead with the attack despite its poor planning because he was seeking the US$15 million bounty that the US government placed on Maduro.[22][23]

Attack

On 3 May 2020, a group of armed mercenaries arrived by boat to Macuto,[10] near La Guaira, a port city just north of Venezuelan capital Caracas.[24] The boats had been launched from Colombia at 5 p.m. the day before, in two waves.[20] According to Venezuelan state intelligence, the first boat (that arrived at Macuto) was smaller and faster, while the second boat was to arrive at Chuao in Aragua state.[21] The Venezuelan military reported that the mercenaries had "war materials" on their boats.[24] According to photos released by the Venezuelan government, a helicopter was involved.[25] The naval attack force was composed of 60 soldiers,[24] including two former United States Army Special Forces members.[26][27]

File:Jordan Goudreau.png
Jordan Goudreau, seen in a video prior to the 4 May events

An initial fight in the early morning of 3 May involved the first boat, and was fought against the Venezuelan Navy. Goudreau said that the second boat, yet to arrive at Venezuela, was running low on fuel at this point, but that refueling boats were sent from Aruba to help the incursion force. In the initial fight, eight soldiers were arrested on the shore. Another six were killed on the beach;[3] this had initially been reported as eight.[28] Goudreau said that he had safe houses along the coast for his men.[3] Videos of the fight, including gunshots, were shared on social media; the Venezuelan government first acknowledged the attack at 7:30 a.m., in an announcement from Interior Minister Néstor Reverol.[20] One of the killed men was former Army captain Robert "Pantera" Colina.[21][29]

Goudreau and former Venezuelan National Guard officer Javier Nieto Quintero released a video in the afternoon claiming responsibility, calling the attack 'Operation Gideon' and explaining that they intended to launch an army into Venezuela to overthrow Maduro; Goudreau said that as well as the naval attack, his forces had entered Venezuela by land and were still operating. Speaking on national television that day, Reverol said that the Venezuelan military's defensive operation was ongoing, and would be for several days.[24]

The second wave arrived on 4 May, but was intercepted by the Navy.[29] The attackers were all captured in a move that involved local police, and two other suspects were detained in Puerto Cruz later in the day.[29] Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López later said that one of the militant boats had been sunk by the Navy, and the country's military sent ships to look for survivors.[30]

On 4 May, Maduro said Venezuelan forces had detained 13 soldiers, including two Americans working with Goudreau;[4] these were named as Airan Berry and Luke Denman.[26][27] Goudreau said that eight of his soldiers had been captured on 4 May, the two Americans and six Venezuelans, and that an unknown number had been captured on 3 May.[25] On 5 May it was reported that "dozens" of mercenaries had been captured,[28] with another three on 6 May.[31] Seized items from the mercenaries include weapons, Peruvian documents, and uniforms emblazoned with an American flag.[26][27] Venezuelan prosecutor general Tarek William Saab later announced that 25,000 national troops were mobilized[32] in a Venezuelan military mission named "Bolivarian Shield" (Spanish: Escudo Bolivariano) to protect the country from similar attempts.[21]

Aftermath

On 6 May, Venezuelan state television broadcast a video of an interrogation of one of the captured attackers, Luke Denman.[33] Denman has specialist military medical training and served in Iraq; two of his brothers also served in the military.[34] In the video, Denman allegedly claims that his instructions were to seize the Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía and fly Maduro to the United States, leading Maduro to claim that these orders came directly from US President Donald Trump. The video shows Denman answering questions that were asked in English, also indicating that he was hired through Goudreau and that they trained 50 combatants in Colombia in January 2020.[33] One of his brothers, a lawyer, spoke to British news outlet Daily Mail on 5 May; the New York Post reports that he asked the US government to help get Luke released.[34]

Reactions

Domestic

The Maduro administration accused the United States and Colombian governments of masterminding the attack, which both denied.[32][35] Goudreau has also denied any help for his operation from US and Colombian authorities.[36]

President of the National Assembly and disputed acting President of Venezuela, Juan Guaidó, has accused Maduro administration of “trying to create a state of apparent confusion, an effort to hide what’s happening in Venezuela,” citing recent events like the gasoline shortages, Guanare prison riot, a violent gang battle in Caracas and the COVID-19 pandemic in Venezuela.[35] Guaidó also demanded for the human rights of the detained to be respected.[37] The National Assembly also described the document shared by the Maduro government as a "false document as justification to try and kidnap and illegally detain the interim president Juan Guaidó".[11]

International

  •  Colombia: The Colombian government rejected the accusations, calling them an attempt by the "dictatorial regime of Nicolás Maduro" to divert attention from problems in the country.[38]
  •  Russia: The Russian Foreign Ministry said that United States' denial was "unconvincing" and pointed to earlier warnings made by the Trump administration that "all options" are on the table, including the possibility of military action. It also said that the actions of the mercenaries deserve "unequivocal and decisive condemnation."[39][40]
  •  United States: Various US officals have denied the accusations made by the Maduro government.
    • President Donald Trump said that the naval attack and the arrest of 2 American mercenaries "has nothing to do with our government."[41]
    • Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that there was no US government direct involvement in this operation and added: "(If) we’d have been involved, it would have gone differently." Regarding the detention of 2 Americans, Pompeo said that the US will use “every tool” available to secure the return of Americans if they are being held in Venezuela.[42]
    • Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told reporters at the Pentagon that "the United States government had nothing to do with what's happened in Venezuela in the last few days."[43]
    • A State Department spokesperson said that Maduro regime has been consistent in its use of misinformation in order to shift focus from its mismanagement of Venezuela. It also said that there was "a little reason to believe anything that comes out of the former regime."[44]

See also

References

  1. ^ Smith, Scott; Goodman, Joshua (4 May 2020). "Venezuela: 2 Americans among those nabbed after beach raid". The Washington Post. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Ex-Green Beret led failed attempt to oust Venezuela's Maduro". Associated Press. 1 May 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "Venezuela 'failed coup plot': What we know so far". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  4. ^ a b Venezuela detains two Americans allegedly involved in failed raid to remove Maduro
  5. ^ a b Freeze, Colin; Dickson, Janice (5 May 2020). "A Canadian-American military man, a failed Venezuela coup and a Twitter video". The Globe and Mail. Toronto and Ottawa. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  6. ^ a b Ex-Green Beret Led Failed Attempt to Oust Venezuela's Maduro NYTimes.com
  7. ^ "US sanctions Venezuelans for alleged Farc links". BBC. 8 September 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  8. ^ "Treasury designates four Venezuelan officials for providing arms and security to the FARC" (Press release). U.S. Department of the Treasury. 8 September 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  9. ^ a b c Freeze, Colin; Dickson, Janice (5 May 2020). "A Canadian-American military man, a failed Venezuela coup and a Twitter video". The Globe and Mail. Toronto and Ottawa. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  10. ^ a b c "Venezuela holds two US citizens over 'coup bid'". BBC News. 5 May 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h Goodman, Joshua (6 May 2020). "Sources: US investigating ex-Green Beret for Venezuela raid". Associated Press. Retrieved 7 May 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ "Venezuela holds US mercenaries after botched coup". www.theaustralian.com.au. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  13. ^ Long, Gideon (4 April 2020). "Mystery surrounds foiled 'plot' to liberate Venezuela". Financial Times. Retrieved 5 May 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ a b c Long, Gideon (4 April 2020). "Mystery surrounds foiled 'plot' to liberate Venezuela". Financial Times. Retrieved 5 May 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ^ "Cliver Alcalá se entregó a la DEA y fue extraditado a EEUU: Reuters - Noticiero Digital". Noticiero Digital. 27 March 2020.
  16. ^ "Venezuela navy vessel sinks after 'ramming cruise ship'". BBC News. 3 April 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  17. ^ Sutton, H.I. (5 April 2020). "Venezuelan Navy Retweets Questionable 'Evidence' In Cruise Ship Case". Forbes. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  18. ^ "Macuto: un nuevo capítulo frustrado de la vía armada contra Venezuela". Misión Verdad. Medium. 3 May 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ "The Macutazo: Timeline of an Absurd Military Adventure". Caracas Chronicles. 5 May 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ^ a b c d "The Invasion of Venezuela, Brought To You By Silvercorp USA". bellingcat. 5 May 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  21. ^ a b c d ""Lo sabíamos todo", dice Maduro sobre incursión en Macuto". Efecto Cocuyo. 5 May 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  22. ^ "Jordan Goudreau must answer for Venezuela debacle". Washington Examiner. 5 May 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  23. ^ Daniels, Joe Parkin; agencies (5 May 2020). "Donald Trump denies link to Venezuela armed raid by US citizens". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  24. ^ a b c d "Venezuela attack: Former US special forces soldier says he led botched plot to overthrow President Maduro". Sky News. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  25. ^ a b Dominguez, Claudia. "Venezuela claims to have captured two Americans involved in failed invasion". CNN. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  26. ^ a b c Venezuelan government says it stopped ‘invasion’ launched from Colombia The Washington Post
  27. ^ a b c Boat attack on Venezuela port foiled The Canberra Times
  28. ^ a b "Venezuela's Maduro: Americans captured in failed coup plot". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  29. ^ a b c "The Macutazo: Timeline of an Absurd Military Adventure". Caracas Chronicles. 5 May 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  30. ^ "Venezuela accuses Colombia of sea invasion". BBC News. 3 May 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  31. ^ "Padrino López anuncia captura de tres "mercenarios" en la carretera El Junquito-Carayaca - Efecto Cocuyo". Efecto Cocuyo (in European Spanish). 6 May 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  32. ^ a b "Venezuela: Two US citizens held after failed coup attempt are named". Sky News. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  33. ^ a b "Detained American tells Venezuela state TV he plotted Maduro's capture". Reuters. 6 May 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  34. ^ a b Steinbuch, Yaron (6 May 2020). "Brother of ex-Green Beret in failed Venezuela coup pleads for help from US". New York Post. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  35. ^ a b Steve Holland (5 May 2020). "Trump denies U.S. role in what Venezuela says was 'mercenary' incursion". Reuters.
  36. ^ "Venezuela arrests two US 'mercenaries' after alleged raid to capture Maduro". France 24. 5 May 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  37. ^ Sequera, Vivian (6 May 2020). "Venezuelan authorities detain U.S. citizens allegedly involved in incursion". Reuters. Retrieved 6 May 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  38. ^ "Colombia accused of failed 'terrorist' invasion". Phnom Penh Post. Agence France-Presse. 4 May 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  39. ^ "US denial over Venezuela alleged plot 'unconvincing': Moscow". CGTN. 6 May 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  40. ^ "Russia weighs in on Donald Trump's 'unconvincing' denial of alleged Venezuelan plot". SBS World News. Agence France-Presse. 6 May 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  41. ^ Daniels, Joe Parkin (5 May 2020). "Donald Trump denies link to Venezuela armed raid by US citizens". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 May 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  42. ^ Spetalnick, Matt; Pamuk, Humeyra (6 May 2020). "U.S. will use 'every tool' to secure release if any Americans held in Venezuela: Pompeo". Reuters. Retrieved 7 May 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  43. ^ Sisk, Richard (6 May 2020). "US Not Involved in Bizarre Venezuela Coup Attempt, SecDef Insists". Military.com. Retrieved 7 May 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  44. ^ Smith, Scott (3 May 2020). "Venezuela says it foiled attack by boat on main port city". The Washington Post. Associated Press. Retrieved 7 May 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Operation_Gideon_(2020)&oldid=955359897"