Caracas, May 24 (RHC)-- The Attorney General of the Republic of Venezuela, Tarek William Saab, reported that the First Court of Trial Against Terrorism handed down a conviction against the 29 accused of the so-called Operation Gedeón, committed in May 2020 and which sought the overthrow of the Government of President Nicolás Maduro.

“Twenty people were sentenced to 30 years in prison for the crimes of treason, conspiracy with a foreign government, rebellion, association, illicit trafficking in weapons of war, terrorism and financing of terrorism.  And another nine people were sentenced to 21 years in prison for the crimes of: association and conspiracy with a foreign government,” the prosecutor disclosed on his social network account X.

The court also ordered the confiscation of all seized possessions.

The prosecutor stated that there are others involved who have not yet been tried in Venezuela.  “We continue working so that their criminal actions do not go unpunished,” he assured.

After finishing the continuation hearing of the Oral and Public Trial in the case of Operation Gideon, the Public Ministry and the Technical Defense Corps presented their final arguments to end the trial.

The prosecutor said that this begins to close “a black episode in the recent history of the country, when a group of Venezuelans, in coordination with foreign actors and powers, perpetrated this mercenary maritime incursion operation that sought the murder of officials of the highest level. of the Venezuelan State, including the President of the Republic Nicolás Maduro: to achieve the overthrow of the National Government.”

Earlier, a Venezuelan court sentenced two former American soldiers to 20 years in jail for trying to overthrow President Nicolás Maduro.

Luke Denman and Airan Berry were found guilty of conspiracy, illicit trafficking of weapons and terrorism.   The pair were among 13 people arrested in May 2020 as they attempted to enter Venezuela by sea from Colombia.