US Former Green Beret Arrested in Failed Venezuela Coup Fallout

Jordan Goudreau was one of the masterminds behind the paramilitary “Operation Gideon” in May 2020.

By Ricardo Vaz
August 1, 2024

Caracas, August 1, 2024 (venezuelanalysis.com) – United States veteran Jordan Goudreau has been detained over his role in a failed attempt to overthrow the Venezuelan government.

Goudreau, a former Green Beret who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Venezuelan associate Yacsy Álvarez, will face federal arms smuggling charges after allegedly shipping weapons, ammunition and other military equipment to Colombia.

The former serviceman is likewise accused of smuggling goods and illegal possession of firearms, in a total of 14 counts. He is currently detained in a federal center in Brooklyn. The two defendants face 5- to 20-year sentences for each count in the indictment.

Venezuelan authorities had requested the extradition of both Goudreau and Álvarez. The latter is currently seeking asylum in the US and her attorney reported that she will plead “not guilty” to the charges. She had been detained in Colombia before being released.

Goudreau’s activities relate to “Operation Gideon,” a paramilitary action that aimed to topple the Nicolás Maduro government in Venezuela. In May 2020, the Venezuelan armed forces neutralized an attempted incursion with speedboats that had departed from Colombia, with six invading operatives killed and dozens arrested.

The 60-strong group trained for months in Colombian camps before departing in early May. It was made up of Venezuelan army deserters and two other Green Berets, Airan Berry and Luke Denman, who received 20-year sentences before being included in a prisoner exchange between Caracas and Washington. Other participants received 21- and 30-year jail terms.

Goudreau’s private security contractor, Silvercorp, was hired by former self-proclaimed “Interim President” Juan Guaidó to conduct the operation and remove Venezuela’s elected president. Guaidó attempted to distance himself from Operation Gideon but evidence of his talks with Silvercorp, as well as a copy of the signed contract, were publicly released.

The leaked document showed the US-backed parallel administration hired the security contractor to “plan and execute an operation to capture/detain/remove Nicolas Maduro.”.

However, the Venezuelan hardline opposition reportedly only made an initial payment out of the US $1.5 million agreed to, leading Goudreau to sue Guaidó associate Juan José “JJ” Rendón for breach of contract.

Operation Gideon provided further revelations in the months after it was neutralized by Venezuelan authorities. Goudreau went on to state that Trump administration officials encouraged the operation, while a 2021 Vice News investigation claimed that the CIA had knowledge of the mercenary plot.

The paramilitary operation began to unravel in March 2020 with the arrest of former Venezuelan General Cliver Alcalá in Colombia alongside Colombian authorities busting weapons shipments before they reached the training camps. Alcalá was Goudreau’s main partner in organizing Operation Gideon.

The former general was indicted on separate Justice Department “narco-terrorism” charges. His attorney unsuccessfully tried to leverage the former official’s ties to US intelligence agencies to have him released. However, prosecutors were not able to prove any drug charges and Alcalá was ultimately handed a 21-year sentence for providing weapons to the FARC rebel group.

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