Former Green Beret Arrested for Venezuelan Coup Plot

Faces federal charges for arms smuggling and conspiracy
By Newser.AI Read our AI policy
Posted Aug 1, 2024 12:00 PM CDT
Former Green Beret Arrested for Venezuelan Coup Plot
In this courtroom sketch, retired three-star Venezuelan army general Cliver Antonio Alcal? Cordones, center, stands while his defense attorney Cesar De Castro, right, speaks in Federal Court in New York, Thursday, Jan, 18, 2024. Former Green Beret Jordan Goudreau is seated in the audience, background...   (Elizabeth Williams via AP, File)

A former US Green Beret who orchestrated a failed coup against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in 2020 has been apprehended in New York on federal arms smuggling charges. Unsealed in Tampa, Florida, a federal indictment alleges Jordan Goudreau and his Venezuelan partner, Yacsy Alvarez, violated US arms control laws by assembling and exporting defense equipment, including AR-type weapons, to Colombia without proper licenses.

Goudreau faces 14 counts, including conspiracy and unlawful possession of a machine gun. Following his arrest in Manhattan, he appeared in federal court but remains in custody at a Brooklyn federal detention center. A decorated veteran with a strong military background, Goudreau led a poorly funded coup attempt, known mockingly as the "Bay of Piglets," that ended disastrously for the participants.

The indictment highlights numerous communications and transactions allegedly related to the plot, including a message from Goudreau to an equipment distributor listing required items such as AR-15 rifles and ballistic helmets. It recounts the logistical efforts and financial outlay, including $90,000 spent on a yacht that was allegedly used to transport equipment from the US to Colombia. Prosecutors outline how the plot began to unravel after Colombian police uncovered stockpiled equipment near Santa Marta.

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Alvarez, seeking asylum in the US, plans to plead not guilty, with her attorney emphasizing that the charges are currently mere allegations. If convicted, both Goudreau and Alvarez face between 5 and 20 years in prison for each violation. The US Justice Department declined to comment on the indictment. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)

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