Name: American captured over alleged Venezuelan coup plot says Donald Trump ordered plan
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American captured over alleged Venezuelan coup plot says Donald Trump ordered plan

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An alleged US mercenary captured in Venezuela has been paraded on state TV,&nbsp; where he claimed he was part of a plan ordered by Donald Trump to kidnap President Nicolás Maduro.Luke Denman, a former Green Beret who was arrested on Monday trying to “invade” Venezuela, said he was instructed to seize control of Caracas' airport and bring in a plane to fly Mr Maduro to the US, which has put out a $15 million (£12m) bounty on his capture.He claimed he signed a contract with Florida-based private security firm, Silvercorp, to train rebel troops and carry out the assault in exchange for up to $100,000.“I was helping Venezuelans take back control of their country,” Mr Denman, 34 from Texas, told an interviewer. The other detained American, Airan Berry, did not appear on camera.The veracity of Mr Denman’s comments is unclear and it was not known whether they were made under duress."Donald Trump is the direct chief of this invasion," Mr Maduro said during a televised virtual press conference, after the video of Mr Denman was broadcast.The US government has denied any involvement, while Mike Pompeo, US Secretary of State, said he would use “all the tools” at his disposal to bring the men home.The man accused of leading the failed Venezuela coup had provided security for Mr Trump, it was reported on Wednesday, as the US administration sought to distance itself from the plot.Jordan Goudreau, 43, a former American special forces soldier, can allegedly be seen in footage with an earpiece at one of the president’s rallies in Charlotte, North Carolina, in October 2018.President Trump, however, has said the US had nothing to do with the purported attack and Mr Goudreau is under federal investigation for arms trafficking, according to current and former U.S. law enforcement officials.&nbsp;"There's the proof," M Maduro said, pointing to the video, in which Mr Denman indicates that Mr Trump was behind Silvercorp's incursion. "And there will be more."Related TopicsAdvertisementRelated TopicsWe rely on advertising to help fund our award-winning journalism.We urge you to turn off your ad blocker for The Telegraph website so that you can continue to access our quality content in the future.Thank you for your support.Need help?Visit ourpage.Close

An alleged US mercenary captured in Venezuela has been paraded on state TV,&nbsp; where he claimed he was part of a plan ordered by Donald Trump to kidnap President Nicolás Maduro.Luke Denman, a former Green Beret who was arrested on Monday trying to “invade” Venezuela, said he was instructed to seize control of Caracas' airport and bring in a plane to fly Mr Maduro to the US, which has put out a $15 million (£12m) bounty on his capture.He claimed he signed a contract with Florida-based private security firm, Silvercorp, to train rebel troops and carry out the assault in exchange for up to...

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Josie Ensor

By Josie Ensor

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American captured over alleged Venezuelan coup plot says Donald Trump ordered plan

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