Ex-Green Beret led failed attempt to oust Venezuela's Maduro

plan was simple but perilous. Some 300 heavily armed volunteers planned to sneak into Venezuela from rrn tip of South America and ignite a popular rebellion that would end in President Nicolas Muro’s arrest.

Inste, ringleer of plot is w jailed in U.S. on narcotics charges. Authorities in Colombia are asking questions about role of his former U.S. Green Beret viser. And dozens of combatants who flocked to secret training camps in Colombia have been left to fend for mselves amid a global pandemic.

This bizarre, never-told story of a call to arms that crashed before it launched is drawn from interviews with more than 30 Muro opponents and aspiring freedom fighters directly involved in or familiar with its planning. Most spoke on condition of anymity fearing retaliation.

poorly-planned operation stood little chance of beating Venezuelan army, said Ephraim Mattos, a former U.S. Navy SEAL who trained some of would-be combatants in basic first aid.

“You’re t going to take out Muro with 300 hungry, untrained men,” Mattos said.

When hints of conspiracy surfaced last month, Muro-controlled state media portrayed it as a CIA plot. An Associated Press investigation found evidence of U.S. government involvement in plot. Neverless, interviews revealed that leers of Venezuela’s U.S.-backed opposition knew of covert force, even if y dismissed its prospects.

Opposition leer Juan Guaidó was also told about it but was t involved and showed little interest, according to Hernan Aleman, a Venezuelan lawmaker and one of a few politicians to openly embrace clandestine mission to remove Muro.

“Lots of people knew about it, but y didn’t support us,” he said. “y were too afraid.”

Planning for incursion began in aftermath of an April 30, 2019, barracks revolt by a cre of soldiers who swore loyalty to Guaidó, recognized by U.S. as Venezuela’s rightful leer.

A few weeks later, some involved in failed rebellion retreated to Bogota, Colombia. That's where y met Jordan Goudreau, an American citizen and three-time Bronze Star recipient who served as a medic in U.S. Army special forces, according to five people who met with former soldier.

Goudreau, 43, declined to be interviewed, but said in a written statement that he would t “confirm r deny any activities in any operational realm.”

Venezuelans he interacted with described him alternately as a freedom-loving patriot, a mercenary, and a gifted warrior in way over his he.

After retiring from Army in 2016, he set up Silvercorp USA, a private security firm, near his home in Melbourne, Florida. company’s website features videos of Goudreau firing machine guns in battle, running shirtless up a pyramid and flying in a private jet.

Goudreau’s focus on Venezuela started in February 2019, when he worked private security at a concert on Venezuelan-Colombian border in support of Guaidó.

“He was always chasing golden BB,” said Drew White, a former business partner at Silvercorp, who broke with his special forces soulmate last fall when Goudreau asked for help raising money to fund his regime change initiative. Golden BB is military slang for a one-in-a-million shot that if it hits in right place can bring down an aircraft. “As supportive as you want to be as a friend, his he wasn’t in world of reality.”

According to White, Goudreau was looking to capitalize on Trump ministration’s growing interest in toppling Muro. In May, he attended a meeting in Miami with representatives of Guaidó to hear how he could contribute to Venezuela’s rebuilding.

In Bogota, Lester Toledo, Guaidó's coordinator for international humanitarian aid, introduced Goudreau to a rebellious former Venezuelan military officer — Cliver Alcalá.

Alcalá, a retired major general, seemed an unlikely hero to restore his homeland's democracy. In 2011, he was sanctioned by U.S. for allegedly supplying guerrillas in Colombia with weapons in exchange for cocaine. And last month, Alcalá was indicted by U.S. prosecutors alongside Muro on narcoterrorist charges.

Over two days of meetings with Goudreau and Toledo, Alcalá explained how he was housing dozens of combatants selected from among throngs of soldiers who h fled to Colombia, according to three people who participated in meeting.

Goudreau told Alcalá he could prepare men for battle, according to three people. He also claimed that he h high-level contacts in Trump ministration that could assist effort.

Guaidó’s envoys ended contact with Goudreau after Bogota meeting, believing it was a suicide mission, according to three people close to opposition leer. Undeterred, Goudreau returned to Colombia and began working with Alcalá.

Alcalá and Goudreau revealed little about ir military plans. But y told volunteers that — once challenged in battle — Muro’s demoralized troops would collapse like domies, several of soldiers said.

Many saw plan as foolhardy and re appears to have been serious attempt to seek U.S. military support.

“re was chance y were going to succeed without direct U.S. military intervention,” said Mattos, who trained volunteers in basic first aid on behalf of his n-profit.

Mattos said he was surprised to find men skipping meals and training with sawed-off broomsticks. He grew wary as men recalled how Goudreau h boasted to m he was reying a shipment of weapons and arranging aerial support for an eventual assault.

volunteers also shared with Mattos a document listing wished-for supplies for a three-week operation. Items included 320 M4 assault rifles, $1 million in cash and night vision goggles.

plot to oust Muro came to an end in late March when Colombian police stopped a truck transporting a cache of brand new weapons, including 26 American-me assault rifles with serial numbers rubbed off.

Alcalá claimed ownership of weapons shortly before surrendering to face U.S. drug charges, saying y belonged to “Venezuelan people.” He also lashed out against Guaidó, accusing him of betraying a contract with his “American visers.”

Guaidó through a spokesman said he doesn't kw Alcalá.

After would-be insurrection collapsed, Muro's allies celebrated. Socialist party boss Diosdo Cabello said government was aware of plot for at least six months. He outed Goudreau on state TV, showing snapshots of “mercenary",

“We knew everything,” said Cabello. “Some of ir meetings we h to pay for. That’s how infiltrated y were.”