RAMBO RAID
Ex-Green Beret & Trump security guard wanted for ‘plotting coup against Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro’ arrested
A former Green Beret has been arrested after leading a failed South American coup in 2020
A FORMER US Green Beret who organized a failed "Rambo-style" coup d'etat in Venezuela has been arrested on federal arms smuggling charges.
Jordan Goudreau, 48, was arrested in New York and is accused of organizing with Venezuelan army deserters in a cross-border raid to remove President Nicolas Maduro in 2020.
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In a federal indictment unsealed this week in Florida, Goudreau and a Venezuelan partner, Yacsy Alvarez, are both accused of violating US arms control laws.
The pair are accused of allegedly assembling and smuggling AR-styled weapons, ammo, night vision goggles, and other military equipment from America into Venezuela through Colombia.
Goudreau was charged with 14 counts total, including conspiracy, smuggling goods from the United States, and “unlawful possession of a machine gun."
Goudreau, a three-time Bronze Star recipient for bravery in Iraq and Afghanistan, owns a private security firm, Silvercorp, which worked security, planning, and even led international security teams for then President Donald Trump as well as the Secretary of Defense, according to his website and photos.
But it wasn't until 2020 that Goudreau claimed responsibility for a military coup on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with a militia of soldiers he trained in camps in Colombia.
THE BAY OF PIGLETS
On May 3, known as the Bay of Piglets or "Operation Gideon," Goudreau and his group of rebels entered the country by boat with the plan of storming the beach, taking control of an airfield, capturing Maduro and other high-level figures in his administration, and then expelling them from the country.
But the group was easily wiped out by Venezuela’s military forces, which had already infiltrated the group and knew of their plans.
The attack was primarily planned by Clíver Alcalá Cordones and Goudreau.
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Alcalá was a Major General in the Venezuelan Army with close ties to the Hugo Chávez government until he defected to Colombia in 2013 under Maduro before connecting with Goudreau.
Two other former Green Berets and colleagues of Goudreau who participated in the attempted coup, Luke Denman and Airan Berry, were captured during the assault and spent years in Venezuela’s prisons.
That is until a prisoner swap last year between Venezuela and the US that included both men and other incarcerated Americans for a Maduro ally held in the US on money laundering charges.
Speaking at a press conference after the failed raid, President Maduro held up a pair of US passports - reading off the names and birth dates of both captured men.
Maduro branded Denman, 34, and Berry, 41, "terrorist mercenaries" and alleged they were part of a plot masterminded by the US, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, and neighboring Colombia.
At first, US officials denied any knowledge of the “Rambo mercenary plot” led by Goudreau.
However, the DEA later admitted to being tipped off about the weapons and other supplies being smuggled across the border by Goudreau earlier this year by an informant, according to reports.
This information was later passed on to the Department of Homeland Security, but ultimately no investigation was ever conducted.
The DEA originally believed that the weapons were destined for leftist rebel groups or gangs in Colombia, former officials said on the condition of anonymity.
Goudreau reportedly got the idea for a coup after meeting with Trump's longtime personal bodyguard Keith Schiller, who previously attended a meeting with Goudreau and associates of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó in Miami.
Goudreau also spoke with a billionaire backer for funding.
US officials also reportedly discussed whether to organize and back guerrilla fighters in camps - but ultimately decided against it, according to .
But Trump and the White House at the time said Schiller cut off all contact with Goudreau after the meeting and denied any involvement in Goudreau's plan or actions.
THE INDICTMENT
In their 22-page indictment, prosecutors laid out Goudreau's plans and actions, citing text messages between both him and Alvarez about their efforts to buy military-related equipment and smuggle them to Colombia.
The indictment traces a web of money transfers, international flights, and large-scale purchases of military equipment.
In a text message from Goudreau to an equipment distributor in November 2019, the distributor laid out a list of equipment for Goudreau that included AR-15 rifles, night vision devices, ballistic helmets, and more, according to prosecutors.
In another message, Alvarez asked Goudreau if she would be “taking things” with her on an upcoming flight she was scheduled to take from the US to Colombia.
Earlier this year, Cliver Alcalá, a retired three-star Venezuelan army general and partner of Goudreau in the attempted coup, was sentenced to over two decades earlier this year in federal court for providing weapons to rebels.
Goudreau's attorney, Gustavo J. Garcia-Montes, says his client is innocent.
Alvarez is currently “seeking asylum in the United States, and has been living here peacefully with other family members," her attorney told the .
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“She will plead not guilty to these charges, and as of right now, under our system, they are nothing more than allegations," her attorney said.
Timeline of Operation Gideon
Operation Gideon, later known as the Bay of Piglets for its failure, was an attempted coup in Venezuela in May 2020, led by a group of Venezuelan dissidents and US mercenaries aiming to overthrow President Nicolás Maduro.
Pre-Operation -
2019:
Jordan Goudreau, a former Green Beret and founder of the private security company Silvercorp USA, began planning Operation Gideon with Venezuelan dissidents. Training camps were reportedly set up in Colombia to prepare for the mission.
In a text message from Goudreau to an equipment distributor in November that year, the distributor laid out a list of equipment for Goudreau that included AR-15 rifles, night vision devices, ballistic helmets, and more.
April 2020:
Reports emerged that a group of dissidents and mercenaries were planning an incursion into Venezuela from Colombia.
May 3, 2020:
The operation began as boats stormed a beach near the town of Macuto in the Vargas state of Venezuela. The Venezuelan government quickly thwarted the initial incursion, capturing several mercenaries and dissidents.
May 4, 2020:
Another group attempted to infiltrate Venezuela via the coast but was wiped out by Venezuelan security forces. Among those captured were two American ex-Green Berets, Luke Denman and Airan Berry.
Aftermath -
May 5, 2020:
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced the capture of the mercenaries and claimed the operation was part of a US-backed plot to remove him from power. Goudreau's ties to President Trump are revealed
May 6, 2020:
The US government denied any involvement in the failed coup attempt.
Mid-May 2020:
Videos and testimonies from captured mercenaries were released, implicating Jordan Goudreau and detailing the plans of Operation Gideon.
Late May 2020:
The Venezuelan government continued to round up suspects and collaborators involved in the plot. Goudreau faced increased scrutiny and legal challenges in the U.S.
June 2020:
Luke Denman and Airan Berry were charged in Venezuela with terrorism, conspiracy, illicit trafficking of weapons, and association to commit crimes.
October 1, 2022:
Venezuela announced a prisoner swap deal with the US, where seven American prisoners, including Luke Denman and Airan Berry, were released in exchange for two associates of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who were imprisoned in the US.
July 31, 2024:
Jordan Goudreau and Yacsy Alvare are federally indicted for their role in the failed coup. Goudreau is charged with 14 counts total, including conspiracy, smuggling goods from the United States, and “unlawful possession of a machine gun."
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