Caracas, May 11 (RHC)-- The Venezuelan government announced Sunday that its Special Forces apprehended three mercenaries with ties to the foiled May 3 plot in the northern state of Aragua, which borders Caracas.

The detainees were identified as First Lieutenant Jairo Betemy, Army Second Sergeant Franco Jonathan, and Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) First Sergeant Evan Rincon, who are now in the custody of the corresponding authorities.

The arrest of these deserters is part of the deployment carried out by the state security forces to capture the mercenaries involved in the failed operation, which aimed to carry out a coup in the nation and kidnap President Nicolas Maduro.

The Venezuelan national police reported that search and capture operations for the rest of those involved in the failed plot are still ongoing.  So far, 23 mercenaries linked to these events have been arrested, including two former United States Green Berets, Luke Alexander Denman and Airan Berry, who appeared before Venezuelan justice on Friday.

On Saturday, as part of the same operation, Venezuela’s National Armed Forces (FANB) seized three combat boats with emblems of the Colombian Navy that had been abandoned in Chorro El Mono, Orinoco river, in the Bolivar State.

The arrests and investigations are part of the unraveling of the so-called ‘Operation Gedeon’, which is lead by former U.S. special forces Jordan Goudreau. The mercenary revealed on May 3 a plan to enter Venezuela and destabilize the nation.

According to the former Green Beret, his plan had been coordinated with lawmaker Juan Guaido who signed a contract on Oct. 16, 2019, for US$212 million. 

Miami-based opposition Venezuelan journalist Patricia Poleo interviewed Goudreau, who asserted that Silvercorp USA was hired to provide services, including “strategic planning,” “equipment procuring” and “project execution advisement,” by none other than Juan Guaido, who despite the evidence has denied it.