The arrests of two former U.S. Special Forces soldiers who are being held in Venezuela under charges that they attempted to stage a coup against President Nicolas Maduro came after a "terribly planned" mission that played into the dictator's hands, Rep. Michael Waltz, a combat-decorated Green Beret and National Guard colonel, said Thursday.
"I'm shaking my head," the Florida Republican said on Fox News' "Fox and Friends." "Clearly these guys watch too many Rambo movies, I don't know. At the end of the day, this does have very serious implications."
On Wednesday, Maduro touted a video of one of the arrested men, Luke Denman, 34, of Texas, who claimed he signed a contract with a Florida-based company to train rebel troops and carry out the assault in exchange for up to $100,000 because he was "helping Venezuelans take back control of their country."
Denman and Airan Berry, both of whom served in Iraq, were arrested on Monday. They are associated with Silvercorp USA, a private firm founded by Jordan Goudreau, an ex-Green Beret claiming responsibility for the alleged incursion.
"This plays right into Maduro's hands, plays right into his propaganda machine, and now clearly he is going to use it for additional leverage in dealing with the United States," said Waltz. "These guys are now on top of the five American hostages he already has detained. Just a terrible situation and I don't know what these guys were thinking."
Meanwhile, it can't be overemphasized how many Cuban security and intelligence officials are propping up Maduro's regime, said Waltz, adding that Russians are in Venezuela as well.
"This Keystone Cops episode plays right into (Maduro's) hands, for his propaganda, and to continue locking down his state in oppressing these people," said Waltz. "At the end of the day, he has got to go, but this just isn't helpful at all."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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