Venezuela pushes for extradition of US veteran involved in raid

Venezuela is calling for the extradition of a U.S. military veteran involved in a failed armed incursion into the country earlier this week.

On Friday, Venezuela’s chief prosecutor, Tarek Saab, said his office was calling for the extradition of Jordan Goudreau, a former Green Beret who runs a Florida-based security company called Silvercorp USA, Reuters reported.

Saab’s office also called for the extradition of two opposition Venezuelan politicians: Florida-based political strategist Juan Rendon and exiled lawmaker Sergio Vergara. Saab said they were also a part of the plan to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Reuters reported.

At the beginning of the week, Maduro said Venezuela had captured two U.S. citizens who were part of a group of “mercenaries” involved in the failed raid.

“They were playing Rambo. They were playing hero,” Maduro said Monday.

The embattled president also claimed that the U.S. government was “fully and completely involved in this defeated raid.”

The Trump administration has denied involvement, and the Pentagon declined to comment when contacted by The Hill earlier in the week.

The U.S. doesn’t recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s president, instead supporting Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó.