EXCLUSIVE: 'He deserves to come home.' Brother of one of the American 'mercenaries' captured during a failed attempt to overthrow Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro pleads with the U.S. government to save his life
The brother of one of the American 'mercenaries' captured during a failed military incursion in Venezuela has pleaded with the U.S. government to help save his life.
Former U.S. special forces soldiers Luke Denman and Airan Berry are believed to be among eight men captured by the security forces of the ruling Maduro regime in a coastal town 100 miles east of Caracas.
The arrests came a day after an attempted military coup was launched to overthrow the socialist Venezuelan government, which is not recognized by the US, with the armed group using speedboats to land on a beach just north of the capital.
State media reported there was a firefight, with eight men killed and two captured.
An official called the men 'terrorists' and 'mercenaries', boasting they had thwarted the plan.
Mark Denman, brother of ex-Green Beret Luke, said his family were in shock but hopeful the US government would use all its resources to bring him home.
Luke Denman (right) and Airan Berry (left), both former U.S. special forces soldiers, were identified by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro during a press conference
The men are former U.S. special forces soldiers and are believed to be among eight men captured by the security forces of the ruling Maduro regime
On Monday, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro used a press conference to display the equipment that had allegedly been seized by Venezuelan armed forces after capturing the 'mercenaries'
The 34-year-old is one of three siblings to have served in the military, with deployments in Iraq with the Green Berets.
As a special forces soldier, he received specialist field medical training.
Mark Denman, brother of ex-Green Beret Luke, said his family were in shock but hopeful the US government would use all its resources to bring him home
Exclusive photos released to DailyMail.com by members of Operation Gedeón show Berry and Denman on a speedboat on their way to Venezuela Sunday.
The group also provided passport photos of the men to confirm their U.S. citizenship.
'Luke's motivation has always been to help others in any way he can,' said Mark. 'He thinks of kids who are being harmed and innocent people who are suffering and I’m sure this was his motivation to do this.
'He is good at what he does and he always wanted to use this to deal with the most horrific things that happen in the world.'
The law school graduate made an emotional plea for the U.S. government not to idly stand by while his brother is in the hands of the Maduro regime.
'My brother spent a significant amount of his adult life putting his life on the line for other people,' he said.
'He does it out of patriotism and pride for this country - and I really hope they can return that favor and be there for him as well.
'He has done more than anyone could have ever asked him for and he deserves to be allowed to come home.
'Every military family knows what I’m talking about. Everyone knows what our boys sacrifice to get out there.'
He added: 'He is a strong guy and if anyone can get through this it will be him. We just want to get him back.'
![Mark tells DailyMail.com: '[Luke] does it out of patriotism and pride for this country - and I really hope [the U.S.] can return that favor and be there for him as well'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/05/05/16/28032124-8288849-image-a-5_1588693200440.jpg)
Mark tells DailyMail.com: '[Luke] does it out of patriotism and pride for this country - and I really hope [the U.S.] can return that favor and be there for him as well'
Members of Operation Gedeón provided passport photos of the men to confirm their U.S. citizenship
Luke Denman (left) and Airan Berry (right): Two arrested U.S. 'mercenaries playing Rambo' are paraded after failed attempt 'to kill' Venezuela's Maduro in a failed raid, the president claimed
Luke Denman (bottom) and Airan Berry (top) as pictured during their arrest in Venezuela on Monday
In a video posted to social media a few hours after the attempted coup, retired U.S. Green Beret Jordan Goudreau, speaking alongside rebel captain Javier Nieto Quintero, laid claim to the operation – codenamed Operation Gedeón - and said their men were 'continuing to fight'.
But in an interview with DailyMail.com Goudreau claimed their operation was 'over' and that his focus was on getting his men back to American soil.
He confirmed reports that a group had been captured in the coastal town of Chuau, including Denman, 34, and Berry, 41, whom he said were in the mission in a medical aid role.
Local authorities claimed two U.S. citizens had been arrested as 25,000 troops were mobilized to hunt for other rebels operating in the country.
'I’m worried that my men are going to be tortured or killed,' he said. 'Because in Venezuela that’s what happens to detainees.'
The country’s opposition, including Juan Guaido, who is recognized by the U.S. as its legitimate president, have denied any role in the operation even though Goudreau has shown a contract alleging they had hired his Florida based private security firm Silvercorp USA, to launch it.
'The opposition government are not going to get involved in this at all even though they were there at the beginning,' he said. 'So we are trying to go through the State Department.
'They weren’t aware of any of this. I hope they get our U.S. citizens back. They are American heroes, great men and great soldiers who have done so much for this country.
'So far we have not had any response. Our leaders should burn in hell if they ignore this.'
Former Green Beret Jordan Goudreau (pictured center) said earlier on Monday that he was working with the two men on a mission intending to detain Maduro and 'liberate' Venezuela. Goudreau has claimed responsibility for the operation
The equipment used by the group of 'mercenaries' aiming to capture the Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The president blamed the attacks on the Trump administration, Venezuela's opposition leader and neighboring Colombia all of which have denied involvement
Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro accused the U.S. and Colombia of orchestrating the plan with members of the opposition to have him killed.
'The main objective was to kill the President of Venezuela,' Maduro said Monday during a televised speech on state television.
'A terrorist attack in the middle of a pandemic while our people rested one night.'
Maduro charged that the failed plot was the latest attempt by the U.S. and neighbor Colombia to overthrow his government - a claim that has been denied by Washington and Colombian officials.
'We have proof that this group trained in Colombian territory. We have the places where they were trained,' he said.
Maduro accused ex-Green Beret Goudreau of leading the incursion 'with terrorist mercenaries trained in Colombia to assault Venezuela and try to kill me.'
Photographs circulating in social media Monday showed a group of men, including Americans Denman and Berry, lying face down on a street with their hands cuffed behind their backs while a masked security forces soldier watched on.
