Top US diplomat says 'it's our responsibility' to bring back any Americans from botched, unsanctioned raid in Venezuela

• Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US was prepared to "use every tool" to try and bring back what appears to be two Americans detained by the Venezuelan regime after an alleged failed coup.
• "There was no US government direct involvement in this operation," Pompeo said to reporters on Wednesday. "If we'd have been involved, it would have gone differently."
• Jordan Goudreau, a former Green Beret and the founder of the Florida-based security consulting firm, claimed he deployed two US ex-special forces soldiers to take part in the mission to Venezuela, according to The Associated Press.
• "By no means am I saying that 60 guys can come in and topple a regime," Goudreau reportedly said. "I'm saying 60 guys can go in and inspire the military and police to flip and join in the liberation of their country, which deep down is what they want."
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Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US was prepared to "use every tool" to try and bring back what appears to be two Americans detained by the Venezuelan regime after an alleged failed coup.

"There was no US government direct involvement in this operation," Pompeo said to reporters on Wednesday. "If we'd have been involved, it would have gone differently."

Pompeo's remarks come as Venezuelan reports claimed two US "mercenaries" were taken into custody on Monday. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro alleged that the two Americans, Luke Denman and Aaron Berry, both former US Army special forces soldiers, and dozens of rebels took part in a daring beach raid to capture him.

Jordan Goudreau, a former Green Beret and the founder of the Florida-based security consulting firm Silvercorp USA, claimed he deployed Denman and Berry to take part in the mission to Venezuela, according to The Associated Press. Goudreau said he was hired by the US-backed Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who has denied involvement in the raid.

"You've got to introduce a catalyst," Goudreau said to the Associated Press on Monday. "By no means am I saying that 60 guys can come in and topple a regime. I'm saying 60 guys can go in and inspire the military and police to flip and join in the liberation of their country, which deep down is what they want."

Pompeo declined to provide additional information on who provided funding for the operation, but added the US would attempt to "get every American back."

Since the arrests, Maduro has showed off the belongings of the detainees, including what appeared to be US military identification cards and passports. Venezuelan media outlets released video footage of the purported Americans answering terse questions about their military background and mission.

"We're going to work on this," Pompeo said. "It's a consular matter in the sense of any time there are Americans that are detained some place, we'll work to get them back. We will start the process of trying to figure a way, if in fact these are Americans that are there, that we can figure out a path forward."

Pompeo also warned Maduro of stiff consequences if the leader continued to detain any Americans.

"We want to get every American back," he said. "If the Maduro regime decides to hold them, we'll use every tool that we have available to try and get them back. It's our responsibility to do so."

US officials, including President Donald Trump, widely denied involvement in the operation.

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